


A Better Place

by GirlNextDoorHitchcockBlonde



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Archie Comics (2015), Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Abuse, Adoption, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Family, Future Fic, Gangs, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Original Characters - Freeform, Riverdale, Riverdale AU, Smut, Southside Serpent Betty Cooper, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones, Unbeta'd, Whyte Wrym, archie comics - Freeform, bughead - Freeform, serpents, southside, southside serpents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-04 04:28:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 36
Words: 112,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13356507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GirlNextDoorHitchcockBlonde/pseuds/GirlNextDoorHitchcockBlonde
Summary: About This Story:Having left the hustle and bustle of the city for mental health, Betty Cooper  finds herself settling in Riverdale, volunteering at the school, opening a small garage to make a few jobs for the townspeople, and doing what she can to stay both helpful but mostly under the radar, not wanting anyone to know who she really is.Carpenter Jughead Jones, born and bred in Riverdale is a self-made man of little words. He keeps to himself and doesn’t bother with niceties for a town who never supported him. This means that there is gossip galore about him, and though he says he doesn’t care, he wished people knew who he really was.What will happen when these two meet and strike a deal?About This Chapter:Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones meet for the first time and without knowing put into motion all the changes that are to come to their lives.





	1. Let's Make a Deal

Betty wasn’t really new in town, she’d been there long enough for her rent contract to be running out, but for a small town like Riverdale, she was probably going to be “new” for at least a few years or until someone newer arrived, which seemed unlikely. She spent a little time settling in and enjoying the quiet wonders of said small town and not missing the loud hustle and bustle of New York City at all. She had escaped the city for a reason after all.

 

After a few weeks of settling in, she had found herself bored and when she ventured out she realized people weren’t quite as trusting as they seemed in movies, smiling and being polite but certainly unwilling to hold a conversation. She didn’t mind at first but it didn’t take long for her to realize she had to do something for the town in order for the town to do something for her, so, she headed to the nearest school and offered to volunteer a little, a job that had become full time within the first week. But she didn’t mind, she loved the children, and since the parents had no choice but to meet her, word had started to spread that she wasn’t so bad after all.

 

Jughead, born and bred in the southside of Riverdale was considered one the town’s “lost causes”. He was intelligent and capable, and yet, he spent most of his time in his shop, always smelling of sawdust and never speaking to anyone unless he absolutely had to. There were a lot of things about Jughead Jones nobody knew, for example, nobody knew where his money came from, nobody knew why he lived in _that_ house, and nobody knew why he was so intent on not answering any questions.

 

For a town this small, where everyone liked knowing everything about everyone else or at least pretending they did, an enigma like Jughead Jones wasn’t welcome, and the rumors were rampant. His money came from drugs, he lived in _that_ house just to cause trouble, he’s a drunk just like his daddy, people said, there was just one problem with this: He’d been stopped multiple times and the police had searched his shop and home without warrants time and time again and they had never found drugs or as a much as a beer can anywhere near him, and if he lived in that house to cause trouble then…why hadn’t he caused any? Jughead let people talk, uncaring about their opinions of his life but ultimately wishing he had someone his own age to talk to.

 

“Excuse me, Mrs. May?” Betty asked, knocking on the principal’s door carefully peeking around it to check if she could come in. The woman was on her phone but waved her in regardless and motioned for her to sit, Betty did just that.

 

“No, just figure it out, Greg, I can’t right now, I have a teacher in here. Yes I have to talk to her. Yes!” She yelled and mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ “Yes, Greg, right now, during work hours she’s more important that your dinner.”

 

Betty looked around and found a post-it note and a pencil and wrote “Grilled chicken breast with roast potatoes and onions” putting it in front of her, it hadn’t taken long at all for Betty to catch on that in a town like this, most men still thought themselves the head of the house and working women were stuck having fights over the phone about dinners often.

 

The principle read out the note to him and let out a sigh. “No, no Greg that wasn’t so hard, can I get back to work now? Bye.” The woman turned to her with tired eyes, “Thank you so much for that. How can I help you Ms. Cooper?”

 

Betty bit her bottom lip, feeling guilty about putting something else on the principal’s plate and so she took it on herself. “Mrs. May, I noticed today that the seesaw and the swing set are getting very worn and the wood is splinting. If we don’t take care of it the children wont be able to play on them without getting hurt.” The woman sighed and rubbed her eyes, surely ready to tell her that it was too bad and they just didn’t have the budget, “So I was thinking I could call the company they were purchased from to see if they can tell me how to fix them?”

 

“Oh.” Suddenly Mrs. May perked up. “Sure, no problem at all. Thy were actually donated by a student way before my time, I never met the guy but he does a lot of work for the south side.” She explained, scrunching her nose as most north siders did while she looked through her rolodex pulling out a card. “Here you go this is his card. Ms. Cooper, we can’t reimburse you.” She said then and Betty shook her head,

 

“No matter. It’s for the kids.” She smiled and stood to go. “Thank you.” She nodded at the woman, thinking she looked so much older than she was, the weight of a school on her shoulders. That had been what had brought her here, to the other side of town the South Side. The streets were narrower here, kids walked around without parents and adults yelled across streets to each other in simple daily conversation. Being from New York, she wasn’t concerned, though she was shocked that she had been in Riverdale for a whole year and had never been to this neck of the woods.

 

Betty drove through the small town, looking from side to side and moving very slowly looking for this shop which seemed to be invisible because she had driven down the street three times before she finally parked behind what looked like a bar-the right address, the wrong business. She didn’t know how old these swings were, maybe the business was long gone and the carpenter watching the flowers grow from below. She shivered at the thought and got out of the car, tightening her ponytail and nodding to herself, this wasn’t scary, not at all.

 

She looked at the card, plain white with only a name: Jughead Jones: Carpenter, a number and an address and with a huff walked into the bar adjusting her cardigan. No sooner had she opened the door that she stopped dead in her tracks and looked around. The whole room had colored shadows from stained glass windows so high up she hadn’t noticed them from the car and the smell of sawdust, one of her favorite smells in the world filled the space. Everything about this room looked magical and felt just as such.

 

There were tables and machines and stacks of different types of wood carefully placed and arranged just so, organized to the tee. She couldn’t help but walk further in, though she didn’t see anyone around and looked at cabinets and an armoire sitting on a corner, clearly rejects but oh so beautiful with carved flowers and organic shapes that made them absolute pieces of art that must have taken decades to perfect. She was reaching out to touch one when the noise of a circular saw cut through the warm silence of the room, and Betty jumped back with a yelp, immediately covering her mouth, embarrassed. The sound stopped almost immediately followed by the boom of his voice through the space, deep and strong, though not angry.

 

“Get out. Tell your boss to stop sending Barbie Dolls my way. I’m not fucking interested.” Betty looked around, unsure where the voice had come from since it had bounced all over the room. The man was coming down stairs she had also missed near the back. He looked nothing like a carpenter wearing only a wife beater, low hung jeans that proved he didn’t have any underwear on-not that she would ever notice or think about it, oh, no, Betty Cooper would never objectify a person like that, even if her eyes followed the happy trail down where his shirt had drifted up while he stretched and she bit her lip before looking back up at his actual face, feeling embarrassed.

 

“I’m sorry Mr. Jones? I’m looking a Mr. Jones.” She smiled and tilted her head, pulling down on her cardigan again and smoothing it down, feeling exposed and ignoring everything he’d said previously unable to imagine he had any idea why she was here. He scoffed when he noticed her looking down at herself, smoothing her sundress down, she really was a freaking Barbie Doll, blonde with big, bright green eyes, pouty lips that begged to be bitten, perfect curves and sun-kissed skin all the way down to her ballerina flats, she was absolutely gorgeous, and women like _that_ didn’t come anywhere near him, not without a male escort unless they needed something or it was their job, that’s just what this town did, spread angry rumors about someone until they were just a monster for all to avoid.

 

“Great. You know my name now. Look, I get it, you work on commission and that sucks, but so do I, and I’m not interested. I will not be installing internet in here, I do not need cable and my cell phone is just fine, who uses a land line anyway? Sorry, but no. Now please leave my premises.”

 

“I’m sorry but I don’t und-“

 

“Leave or I call the cops.” He sounded bored. _Bored!_ While threatening her! That was the last straw for Betty who actually found herself wanting to _stomp her foot_ like the children she watched after, her hands in fists at either side of herself.

 

“Is this how you treat customers?” She said, exasperated and huffing. “Well…I _could_ be a customer.” She said, then. “The school sent me, and I’m looking for Mr. Jones.” She insisted, it was his turn to stare at her, confused.

 

“The school? I’m Mr. Jones.” He finally spoke and her mouth opened to speak, then closed. “What? Do I have something on my face?” he wiped his face with the back of his hand and she shook herself, reminding herself to be polite.

 

“Oh. No, sorry, I just thought…I didn’t think…You’re not an old man with big callused hands, a white beard and glasses.” She blushed, knowing she sounded stupid.

 

“This is not Santa’s workshop, Barbie.” He answered with a laugh and a shake of his head.

 

“Please don’t call me that. It’s just Mrs. May told me the donation had been before her time.” She tried to explain, eyes even wider than before if that was possible, sadder, but she shook her head and got her features back into a happy, polite smile, thinking that his laugh was lovely and somehow she knew from the sound of it that it was seldom used.

 

“Mrs. May has been at that school only for three years.” He said, “I assume you’re not here to deliver a receipt for my taxes after this long Ms…”

 

“Cooper. Ms. Cooper. Betty Cooper.” She stumbled on her words, he was now standing at a normal conversational distance, not too close, not too far and she realized she was staring but couldn’t seem to stop, he was beautiful, his jaw angular, his hair black, his eyes the deepest, brightest blue, there were beauty marks on his face she wanted to kiss and _where did that thought come from?_ Certainly, it had been too long since she’d been near any men around her age group.

 

She cleared her throat, what was wrong with her today? “Umm…No, I’m not here for tax purposes, I’m actually…The seesaw and the swing need to be fixed, they’re splintering and I can do it, I can, I just don’t know how so I figured I’d ask an expert.” She was all smiled and polite little movements very fitting for a doll. She looked and acted like the type of girl who had taken Cotillion classes growing up in a household with both parents, something Jughead had learned a long time ago he shouldn’t resent from people because, well…it wasn’t their fault his own parents had been shit.

 

“So, let me get this straight, Cooper Ms. Cooper Betty Cooper,” He smirked, “You came here thinking that me teaching you a craft that took me a decade to perfect would be easier for me than just sanding them down and varnishing them?” He chuckled, and she nodded with a happy smile.

 

“Oh, Sure! I’m a quick study and you just told me what I need to do, so I’ll just be on my-“

 

“Do you like them?” He motioned towards the cabinets she’d almost touched with his chin, studying her face carefully as it changed from confusion to excitement and then something he could only call adoration.

 

“They’re beautiful. I just bought a house, actually, I’m going to need cabinets and I think I’m pretty much in love with them already.” She admitted.

 

“You know, I’ve heard about you, you’re the new girl.” He said with a tone of faux amazement. “New people make the news in a town this small Ms. Cooper, I heard you’re a mechanic.”

 

“Umm…yes, I am. It’s a hobby.” This conversation kept jumping back and forth and it was both confusing and dizzying her.

 

“Great, so let’s do this, if you take a look at my bike, I’ll give you the first set of cabinets for free. Sound good?” Betty clapped her hands in excitement and then stretched one out to shake his.

 

“It’s a deal, Mr. Jones!”

 

“Jughead.” He said, squeezing her hand.

 

“Betty.” She replied, eyes shining.


	2. A Better Place For Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jughead keep in touch, and Jug does better than good on his promise. 
> 
> Unbeta'd, please excuse the mistakes! I hope you enjoy it!! 
> 
> Let me know what you think on the comments below.

After having exchanged numbers they had decided to meet over the weekend at Betty’s place, where he would measure for the kitchen cabinets and she would work on his bike. Really that should have been all the communication between them, but it wasn’t. Instead, she had received a text with a picture of a small panel with gorgeous lilies carved onto it, she replied to it with an emoji with heart eyes and a picture of the kids happily playing in the swing set with the caption “turns out sanding and varnishing isn’t so hard.” For reasons unbeknownst to him, this made Jughead laugh, why someone as dainty as her would choose to do a hard job like that when he’d offered to do it was beyond him, but it only peaked his interest. When he had heard about this new girl in town being a mechanic, a loner, a volunteer, Barbie Doll Betty Cooper had not at all been what he’d imagined, and even with their short interaction he was craving to see her again, wanting to learn more, his curiosity deep.

“Glad it’s all in working order. Get back to work! The kids could get hurt or something.” He typed, ignoring the sound of the circular saw and leaning back against the wall to avoid an accident like dropping his phone onto it (not that it happened before…twice, a responsible carpenter would never be distracted near tools. He scoffed at himself and rolled his eyes.

“Or something.” She replied, smiling at her screen, “The picture’s from earlier, I’m at lunch right now. What type of teacher uses their phone in class?” She sent a selfie of her giving her best ‘teacher’ look, serious and a little scary.

“Mine did.” He replied, challenging her, “You look like an angry Pomeranian.” He added then, thinking that though she was clearly trying to seem intimidating, she looked adorable. Adorable? What the fuck was wrong with him? Maybe he should actually head out and see some people, clearly he was going insane in his solitude.

“Well…you have wonderful grammar skills for someone who didn’t have good teachers.” She typed and this too made him laugh because it amazed him that she managed to be polite even when she was clearly miffed. She was an enigma, and he already knew that if she let him, he would like to figure her out.

 “Thank you? Still on for Saturday? My bike’s making a rattle-whizzing-dying-beluga-whale sound.” He stretched, staring at his bike and scratching his stomach, he had a lot of work to do on it to get it ready for Saturday.

 “Maybe don’t ride it, and don’t give it fish oil instead of gas! I’ll see you tomorrow.” She sent wanting to add an emoji but unable to pick one and settling for little yellow sun. Saturday, she thought, couldn’t come fast enough. Even with everything she did to become part of the community, the people of Riverdale didn’t trust her yet, she didn’t really have friends and had yet to find her place, even a year after having moved. Sometimes she wondered if she should go back to the city, but the thought alone sent her into a spiral of horrible thoughts and spiked her anxiety, so she stayed, believing that if she helped enough, was nice enough, got involved enough, the town would finally accept her and then she wouldn’t be so lonely.

* * *

Saturday morning found Betty cooper in rolled up overalls, a red bandana holding her hair back and matching low-top converse while she had orange juice for breakfast and grabbed a small tool to start peeling the wallpaper off the living room. She looked around the bare-boned house with a wide smile, the realtor had told her it had been in the market for so long it was assumed it would be abandoned forever, as to the reason: it wasn’t pretty enough, cookie cutter enough for Riverdale. Betty disagreed, and so she had paid the lowest price possible for the house, leaving her with a more than healthy budget to fix and design it and give it the time it deserved. 

The first thing she had done following taking down the “For Sale” sign had been gut the front and inside, getting rid of the mess in the front yard and cleaning the porch. She had redone the electrical and plumbing to bring it up to this century and added central A/C, and then, once she was sure it wouldn’t have to be redone, she had painted the outside and manicured the lawn leaving it looking lovelier than any other around it, this made her neighbors unhappy but she loved her house and it deserved to be the prettiest one around.  
  
The inside had taken a while to get going, after opening up the space it was time to start with the cosmetics but this meant that she was living in an empty space and using a bathroom that would have to be gutted as soon as the other bathroom was finished. It wasn’t the best scenario, but it was good enough for her.

She was lost in thought, thinking about paint chips and how long it would take to get rid of this old wallpaper when there was the distinct rumbling of a truck pulling into her driveway, she didn’t think much of it until there was a knock on the door. She walked with a little bounce on her step, fully expecting another neighbor trying to snoop inside but instead “Jughead!” She said happily pulling him in by the sleeve of his jacket.

“I didn’t realize you’d be here so early! Have you had breakfast? I can make you breakfast.” She moved to the kitchen and motioned for him to follow, “Come on, come in!” She walked to the kitchen and brought a carton of only six eggs out of a small blue and white cooler full of ice. “I can’t wait to have a proper kitchen!” She said cracking a couple of eggs into a small pan over the electric cooking plate.

 Jughead was stunned into silence. He had woken up too early to a crash in his own kitchen and had not been able to go back to sleep, so he’d thought to just show up since they hadn’t discussed a time. What he hadn’t expected in his grumpy state of morning with only one cup of coffee was to be greeted with the brightest of smiles by the most gorgeous person he’d ever seen and then immediately told he should have breakfast. It all felt very…sweet. Jughead wasn’t sure how to feel about it, so he stood between what he supposed would one day be a kitchen and the open space with the ugly wallpaper she was clearly trying to take down rubbing his neck.

“’Morning” He finally said voice low and deep and sleepy and Betty gasped.

“Oh, my god, I’m so sorry, I’m so rude! Good morning. Are you a vegan? I’m making you eggs and I don’t know if you’re vegan, I’m so sorry!” She looked panicked, so he moved towards her in an attempt to do _anything_ to calm her down, it was far, _far_ too early for breakdowns.

“Not vegan, eggs are wonderful. Got coffee by chance? I could go get us some.” Betty looked around for a little while with a hum and an “AHA!” and took out a one-person single serving coffee pot and the machine that came with it. Filling it with water and setting it to start brewing. It wasn’t lost on Jughead that she seemed to have just enough of everything for one person, as if she was expecting to be alone for a long time.

“Sorry, sometimes I get a little anxious.” She said simply, it was the understatement of the century, and though he didn’t know if he should bring it up, he did know it would be creepy not to, so he spoke up. 

“Just a little? I looked you up online.” He admitted with a shrug, heart hammering in his chest, ready to be yelled at for being a creep and a stalker, but she turned to him instead, her bottom lip between her teeth, he wanted to pull it from there with his own lips, but leaned against the wall behind him instead, reminding himself to stop being so ridiculous. “You have quite the following on social media, it made me want to check out your website. It’s…well, it’s something.”

“Please don’t tell anyone.” She asked in a low careful tone, her hands were at her sides in fists and he could tell it was taking a lot for her to stay calm, it made him feel guilty, though he wasn’t sure what he’d done. A few years prior a project she had started in hopes to help other people with anxiety issues like hers had been featured on Good Morning America, and suddenly, her blog had blown up. She had millions of followers all over the world, and it was maybe that recognition that had driven her to find a small town like Riverdale where nobody would recognize her. It was nice that she had made her own little fortune with the blog, it was not nice that she was her parents' biggest disappointment for airing her dirty laundry to the public in such a way. 

“Look, what you tell people about your life is your business, I wont tell, not that I would have anyone to tell. Have you talked to anyone about me? Have they told you to stay away yet?” He lifted an eyebrow, knowing the answer and suddenly wondering if she had brought him in quickly to avoid the neighbors seeing. It would certainly make sense for someone who wanted to fit in, but her answer shocked him.

“Umm…no. I don’t really have friends here yet. Nobody to mention anything to. Why would they tell me to stay away from you?” She seemed curious, not scared, going as far as to lean towards him a little before having to turn to take the eggs off of the heat and serving them on a plastic plate handing it to him with a fork. “No table, sorry, I’ll join you on the floor, though.” He smiled, glad for the casual setting and suspecting that were the house finished she would be one those people who prepared full spreads for every meal and they both sat, their backs against opposing walls looking at one another.

“Long story, complicated past, I’m private, people here are nosey, not knowing about me drives them nuts, they make up stories and now I’m the town pariah. A monster. Someone to stay away from. Boo.” He lifted his eyebrow as if daring her to take off running.  

“Are you dangerous?” She asked, still looking interested in what he had to say.

“I can be.” He took a bite of the eggs and watched her nod with a smile. 

“Okay. Well, eat up, we have a lot of work to do!” And that was it, she had made up her mind, not only was she not scared of him, but he was the only person who didn’t work with her who had spoken a full sentence to her, so she decided he would be her first friend whether he liked it or not. It was her experience that people who said 'trust me' often were lying, like Hiram Lodge, and people who said they were dangerous often were only trying to protect themselves.

“You wont run away running if I do something scary?”

“Absolutely, if you give me golden cabinets I would be terrified.” She nodded seriously and he chuckled, telling himself he absolutely was _not_ interested in a woman that looked like _her_ , who would surely get rid of him as soon as he finished the cabinets.

“We’re going to be friends, Mr. Jones the Monster. Just you wait.” She winked and again, he was shocked by how quickly she proved him wrong when he assumed anything about her.

The day was spent doing a series of things, the bike, which Jughead had brought on the back of a truck was such a mess that Betty was surprised it could even run at all. It took long hours to take the duct tape out of it, but it didn’t look _bad_ it just looked unkempt. She tightened basically every screw on the bike, cleaned out areas full of oil that shouldn’t ever leak in that direction but was unable to find any actual leaks and cleaned it until it was gleaming. Inside, Jughead had measured the kitchen and had started drawing up plans for it when she came back in cleaning her hands on a rag, an oil stain on her cheek making her green eyes pop even more than they already did.

They had gotten lunch delivered from a nearby diner but had each eaten where they were meant to be, him in the kitchen, writing measurements on the wall and her in what would one day be a family room, still fighting with the wall paper. The day had gone quickly and quietly, but it was comfortable. Betty liked knowing she wasn’t alone even if they weren’t really hanging out or talking. When the sun started to set Jughead had all the plans done and Betty had half the wall freed from the hideous mustard and pink wallpaper, she approached him.

“Mr. Jones the Monster, Sir?” She asked, leaning against a beam that would at some point be a wall she hoped. “Join me for Pizza and a beer at the best up and coming restaurant in town? My treat. I hear it’s cool to eat on crates instead of tables nowadays.” She bit the inside of her cheek, surely he had a home to go back to, a girlfriend or something, but she still hated eating alone, so this seemed like an opportunity worth taking.

“Really?” He turned from rolling up the plans and lifted a mocking eyebrow, “And this restaurant, it wouldn’t happen to be decorated with only half a wall of the ugliest wall paper to ever exist, would it?” He smirked and licked his lips, enjoying the ease with which he seemed to talk to her even though he didn’t speak to anybody else.

“Maybe it does,” She shrugged, “So, what do you say?” She waggled her eyebrows.

“Sure, why not! I’m always one to try new and exciting dining experiences.”

She had called in the pizza (everything but anchovies and pineapple) and started setting up the plastic crates for them to sit on. She looked at the very bottom of the blue and white cooler and came up with two beers, handing him one and opening her own with her shirt, not noticing the way his eyes had drifted down her body to the flat skin she’d put on display, unthinking.

They talked about the plans for the cabinets, what this downstairs space was meant to look like, he mentioned he was amazed by the amount of people who followed her on social media and admitted that he’d read some of the articles on her blog, telling her that it was surely useful for many people. She had gushed about this town, and mentioned how lonely she was not knowing anyone, and they talked about New York, it being too bright, too loud, too overwhelming all the time. Given she made the vast majority of her income through the blog, Betty thought it was her duty to find a place less stressful for herself and lead by example but she wasn’t sure it was working. They talked and talked and talked and long after the pizza was all gone and the beer bottles empty, they talked some more.

“So, tell me, why this house? This house was a dump. I remember this house.” He said, looking around, seeing none of the signs that anyone had ever lived here before though he knew better.

“I was shown all these gorgeous houses around Riverdale, perfect cookie cutter, white picket fence half-mansions that would be perfect for a nice white heterosexual couple with a golden retriever and two point five kids running around; a PTA van and a luxury sedan up front. She’s a stay at home mom and he’s a realtor or something.” She speaks looking far away, as if she’s talking about a wonderful imagined life and then, out of the blue, she scrunches her nose. “How boring, right?! I mean, nothing wrong with that, but it’s not me. This house wasn’t a dump, she just needs a little love. And I want to do that. I want to give her love she needs to be a beautiful, warm home again because it’s what I would have liked someone had done with me when I was lost and in need of a little care.”

Jughead looked at her like she had grown a second head. The first part of what she’d said sounded wonderful to him, something he had never had and always wanted and here she was, telling him that there were other ways to be happy and he wanted to believe her so badly and couldn’t find it in him to. He found himself nodding at everything she said, trying to understand and digest it all and wondering if anyone would ever do that with him, take the time to give him care if he needed it. He barely managed to hold in the scoff, of course not, he knew better than that. 

When Betty offered him another beer he didn't take it and they both ended up drinking water instead, that was when they both realized it was getting late and should probably go about their nights, but instead, “Want a tour?” She asked him hopefully and without a word, he nodded and got up. They walked around the house with her pointing at walls or lack thereof and mentioning what she wanted to do with each nook and cranny, then they headed upstairs and to the bedrooms. 

“This will be my bedroom.” She explained, “I was thinking of, if you’re up to it, maybe putting something of yours in here, I really loved those lilies you made, maybe an armoire or just some wood panels on the walls or something?”

Jughead was listening to her but something else had taken his attention. “Sure we can do that.” He nodded, eyes on the small pile of perfectly folded sheets and a small pillow on the corner of the room. “We can draw it up today if you want.” He said, looking back at her and wondering just how forward he should be with a new-found self-appointed friend. “Betts, where are you staying while the house gets fixed up?” He pushed himself to ask, not noticing the nickname falling from his lips.

“Here.” She shrugged with a smile. “There’s no point wasting money on hotels and my rent finished a couple days ago. I got a storage unit for some of my things and voila! It’s not like I have much anyway, my rental was furnished, so all I’m really missing here that I already own is my books and kitchen stuff.” 

“I have a guest room at mine, you should stay there.” He hears himself say without thinking about it at all.

“Oh, Umm…I don’t think, I mean, we just met and I don’t want to be a bother, and I don’t really want to pay rent or anything, but thank you so much for the offer. Really, thank you.”

“The room has a bed a fully functional bathroom.” He said with a raised eyebrow, “You can pay me with cooking, I’ve seen your recipes on your website, prove that you can actually make them.” He challenged with a smile and he saw the exact moment she made the choice, biting the inside of her cheek and finally giving a tiny nod.

“Okay. Alright, honestly…you had me at functional bathroom.” She laughed.


	3. A Better Place than Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty moves and gets a tour, but less than twelve hours into her stay she discovers something about Jughead that changes everything. Will she stay?
> 
> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it! **
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -Upcoming chapters will be longer, so expect the length to change <3  
> -IMPORTANT: Do you like the single space between paragraphs or do you prefer a double space? What's easier for you to read?
> 
> Smut is coming, I swear! It starts on Ch. 5 which is already written! 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Jughead had been an absolute gentleman, helping her get her bag ready for the move and insisting that she get rid of her storage unit, saying he had more than enough space for whatever she had if she was telling the truth about it only being books and kitchenware. It had taken only a few hours, and then, his truck was full (including the bike) and they were on their way to his home. They drove in a direction Betty had never gone, and she spent the ride looking out the window as the town turned to land. “Thank you for Visiting Riverdale: The Town with Pep!” They passed a sign and he turned.

“You don’t live in Riverdale?” She asked, confused as to why anyone would work so far from their home if they had the option given he owned his business.

“I don’t live anywhere, another reason they hate me. Technically, my land is not part of Riverdale or Greendale. It’s no man’s land, which means no police actually has jurisdiction and they can’t charge me property taxes. The IRS can, the federal and state government can, but not the local.” He smirked in her direction and she chuckled.

“You’re a regular rebel without a cause.” She said with a shake of her head and watched the land passing them until he turned into what had to be his home except she couldn’t believe it for a second. It was imposing and beautiful, it had three floors and all around it there was the most even and perfectly taken care of yard she had ever seen.

“It’s just over an acre and a half.” He said when he noticed her wide eyes and slacked jaw.

She thought that there couldn’t possibly be a way for anyone to afford this doing custom cabinetry in a town where people still had kitchens from three decades prior, but that wasn’t her business and she wasn’t one to pry, so she simply held her tongue.

He parked and got out, cracking his neck, the sound of gravel crunching under his shoes making her smile, this was so different from the city and it was lovely. She followed him, picking up two of her bags while he grabbed a box and he lead her inside. It was, Betty thought, just as surprising as the outside. The first floor was huge with a modern open floor plan, done in whites and navy, it felt homey but impersonal, as if a designer had decorated it without any personal touches that showed any part of Jughead at all. The kitchen was large and had a large window facing the yard over the sink, Betty thought she would be very happy to cook there. It looked mostly unused except for the coffee pot sitting in the sink and bowl of apples and pears sitting on the table. Betty noticed a large couch in front of a fireplace but no television and a large table with ten chairs, it all seemed like too much for one man, but she hadn’t actually asked something she should have,

“Does your…significant other know I’m here? Will they be okay with it?” She asked and followed him up the stairs.

“There is no girlfriend and I’m not interested in men, they have…extra appendages.” He laughed and looked back at her. “I’ll give you a tour when we finish unpacking, let’s just get this upstairs first.” And that was what they did. It only took a couple of trips before everything was in the room she would occupy. She had looked around it in awe, it was large and had a queen bed, a book case, a desk and a bathroom across the hall. It was not at all cramped and she was more than grateful for the opportunity.

Once the boxes were all in the room he took her on the tour as promised. On the same floor as her bedroom there was another with a small blackboard on the door that said “JB” he had looked at her seriously with something in his eyes she couldn’t put her finger on and had simply said “out of bounds.” She had nodded. The rest of the floor was his master suite. He said that if he was in there she was better off texting him than knocking, it was big and he often didn’t hear the knocking. He then took her downstairs and showed her the kitchen, opening cabinet after empty cabinet, saying she could put all her kitchen in there since he’d never purchased much of anything and showed her the living room, dining room, restroom, office and library. These last two were not part of the open floor plan and had a door that connected them with one another. She had nodded and made a joke about getting lost in such a big house and he had smiled sheepishly and rubbed his neck.

“What about the third floor?” She asked when he seemed like he was ready to head to bed.

“Out of bounds as well. Don’t worry about the third floor and don’t go there. Really, it’ll be easier for both of us.”

“You make it sound like you have a drug cartel up there.” She rolled her eyes and then added, “And by the way, if you do, you’re the most honest and humble drug lord ever.” She added afraid he would think she was being serious.

“Not a drug cartel, no. It’s just a private area, that’s all. I uhh…I’m going to sleep, text if you need anything, okay? I’ll help you unpack tomorrow.”

Betty nodded and followed him upstairs turning to her side as he turned to his. “Thank you for letting me stay here. Good night, Juggie.”

“Night, Bets.”

Betty didn’t sleep that night, unpacking everything and making sure the room was clean and organized. She was staying in someone else’s home and she would respect that by keeping it as clean as she could. At around six thirty she stretched, looked at her untouched bed with a frown after a hot shower and headed downstairs to unpack the kitchen stuff and make Jughead breakfast but she’s mid yawn when she sees two people in the kitchen and yells at the top of her lungs, startled and scared. The two people, a man and a woman raise their hands and drop the fruit they were holding looking as scared as she does.

Jughead wakes to a high pitched yell that rattles his bones and brings back bad memories, but he doesn’t even think about them, instead he runs downstairs a gun in hand pointed forward and pushes Betty behind him ready for a fight before he noticed who it is. With a long exhale turned sigh he rubbed his face with one hand while he put the gun down on the kitchen counter. That’s when the boy and girl break into explanations “Sorry, Mr. Jones, we were hungry! We’ll buy some back! We didn’t know anyone would see us, we thought we were alone you never wake up early!” It was a string of words that rolled over each other’s and Betty wasn’t sure who was saying what.

It’s only then that Betty’s panic begins to subside a little at a time and she notices them holding hands. She peaks from behind Jughead at the people realizing they were just kids and moves from behind Jughead, giving him a look as if to say ‘I want an explanation’ and sighs.

“Sit.” She commands in a tone that can’t be described as anything but motherly, all three of them comply, looking at each other as if questioning why they did but also afraid to move. “What are your names?”

“I’m Lia Ma’am.”

“I’m Liam. Umm…Ma’am.” He adds the last part when the girl elbows him on the ribs.

“They’re siblings.” Jughead explains, “This is Ms. Cooper. She’ll be staying in the guestroom until her house renovations are finished.” Jughead explained to the teens, to which they made faces, arching and waggling eyebrows as if to tease him that they knew better but Jughead threw them a look and they stopped. “You’re not buying me anything back, Ms. Cooper just didn’t know there might be people over, you can have all the fruit if you want.” He said but didn’t dare move to grab it, certainly not with Betty standing there, arms crossed over her chest, her silky bathrobe barely admissible as clothing at all.

“You will do no such thing. An apple is not a meal. I will make you something to take to school but first breakfast.” She opened the cabinets and the fridge checking what she had to work with, she would have to go shopping, that was for sure. “All right. Is everyone ready for the day?” She turned to look at them. “No, you’re not. Go on, shower, get dressed and get your things ready. Be down here for breakfast iiiiiin…” She checked her watch, “thirty five minutes. A minute later and I can’t promise there will be pancakes left.” She smiled and made a shoo motion. The kids moved immediately, but Jughead lingered for a second before just saying ‘thank you.’ Betty pointed at the gun, “Please take that and…I know it’s your home, Jug, but…could I know when there are other people here so it doesn’t happen again?”

Jughead let out a sigh motioning for her to join him at the table, Betty, needing to understand, moved first to set the coffee to brew and joined him.

“The third floor is a basically a row of bedrooms and bathrooms. It connects through the inside of the house and the outside. I don’t ask and I don’t judge, but a lot of kids from the Southside have nowhere to sleep, their parents fight or kick them out or beat them. They know they can come here if they need to. These two are the only ones I ever find in here, I’ve given up on trying to keep them away, but there are rules. No drugs or alcohol in the house. They clean after themselves and they leave the rooms ready for the next person who will need them when they leave in the morning. They have to go to school or they’re not allowed here, and if they’re in trouble they have to ask me for help. No ifs ands or buts. Those are the rules.” He looked at his hands, unsure of how she would react at living with people who could be gang members and sometimes dangerous.

“Oh. That’s…that’s so sweet…” Her eyes seemed both sad and determined, she reached out for his hands and squeezed them to encourage him, to tell him he was doing the right thing, given how the town had treated her, she was pretty sure nobody had ever thanked him for what he did. “Things are about to change, Jughead Jones, and I can feel it in my bones that it’s a good thing.” He couldn’t help but smile at her optimism,

“These kids don’t really know what good is.” He tried to explain,

“Neither did I.” she said, “But I learned, and they deserve it, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, yeah, I do.” He said and she smiled. With one last nod and finding very difficult to look away from her he finally started heading upstairs to shower, shave and get dressed for the day.

By the time Jughead came back down Lia and Liam were already eating as much as they could shovel into their mouths, eggs, fruit, orange juice (Betty had denied them coffee, bad for development she had said) and she was still cooking, making two paper bags each with fresh fruit, tacos and freshly made bread rolls. “I’m sorry, I know it’s not a great lunch, but I swear this man must eat out every day!” She said with a shake of her head, “I’ll go shopping today and make sure you have a better lunch tomorrow.” She sat as she handed Jughead his mug of coffee, the two teens looked up from their plates, confused and clearly doubtful.

“Tomorrow, Ms. Cooper? You dun’ gotta lie. You already did more than my ma ever did.” This made her sad and her heart sink,

“Well, I’m sure she has her reasons, but I meant what I said and I said what I meant, tomorrow. Down here bright and early for breakfast, understand? Already showered and dressed.” The teens nodded and took their dishes to the sink, Liam washed without asking or questioning whether he should while Lia put away everything she could asking if Jughead was done with this or that. As they exited the house for school, Lia paused, looked back at her and hugged her. Betty hugged her back, her heart breaking,

“Thank you Ms. Cooper. My brother’s right, you already did more than ma ever has.” Betty nodded choking back tears,

“Have a great day.” She smiled and turned to a stunned Jughead looking at the exchange while he sipped on his third cup of coffee.

“They’re not the only ones up there.” He said when she closed the door, “If the others find out we’re feeding them, they’ll want to be fed too. It’s a big responsibility and a lot of time and money, Betty. Don’t set them up for disappointment.” He spoke clearly but sweetly, as if afraid that giving all these kids something good and taking it away would make them as bad as their parents.

“Well…I’ll figure out the funding and I’ll do the cooking and as for time,” she shrugged, “I’m a volunteer at a school where the teachers don’t know my name because they don’t like me. Maybe it’s time I move on to somewhere where I’m wanted.”

“Think about it first, okay?”

“Okay.” She said, but her mind was already made up.


	4. Home is Where the Food Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty takes the reigns and learns more about the kids Jughead is helping. She makes up her mind about then and what it will mean for her to stay in this house for the time being and in turn, Jughead doesn't like her plan one bit, asking her to stop before everyone involved gets hurt. Will she stop?
> 
>  
> 
> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**
> 
>  
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde
> 
> Smut is coming, I swear! It starts on Ch. 5 which is already written!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Once the kids had left, Jughead had gone back up to crash and Betty found herself regretting having caught a ride with him the previous night. She wanted to go grocery shopping and had no way to get into town, at least not without taking his truck…which was on the driveway. She bit her bottom lip and told herself she couldn’t do it, this wasn’t her car and she didn’t want to wake Jughead up for the second time that day. She tried making herself busy by preparing meal plans for the next two weeks and cleaning a bit, but the house was mostly spotless, so she walked around in circles until she couldn’t do nothing anymore, grabbing his keys and leaving a note in their place. “Be back soon. Text me if you need me. ~Betty”

She was gone thirty minutes when her phone vibrated in her pocket as she grabbed several dozens of eggs.

**YOU STOLE MY TRUCK! –J**

Betty laughed, looking around her to see if anyone was watching her, but it was early and people usually worked around this time, so the store was fairly empty.

**I did no such thing, I merely borrowed it to buy food so you have a hot meal today. If you want, I can just NOT cook. –B**

**Fine, fine! I concede. You’re right, I’m wrong and you should buy poptarts. I mean, you know, if you’re not going to threaten me with not cooking if I ask for poptarts. –J**

**I can make you pop tarts. –B**

**You can MAKE pop tarts?! –J**

Annoyed with the fact that this was distracting her from actually shopping, she put her headphones in and called him, finding it easier to speak, phone in her pocket while shopping with both hands.

“No, seriously, you can _make_ pop tarts? I didn’t know that was a food that could be made!” He sounded genuinely surprised as he skipped over the niceties of a greeting.

“Somebody makes it to sell it, Jug.” She chuckled, “And good morning, did you enjoy your early morning, after breakfast nap?”

“I know you’re being sarcastic, I can feel your eyes rolling, and yet, I did. Very much. How about you, Ms. Cooper? Did you enjoy breaking into my truck?”

Betty laughed, “I had a key! It’s hardly breaking in!” She argued, pushing the cart down the refrigerated section. “Bacon or sausage?”

“Both. You didn’t have permission, so it was totally and absolutely stealing.”

She put both in the cart and kept moving, “Regular or greek yogurt? And no. I didn’t take it for good, you have all my things in your house, I would have to come back for them eventually!”

“Gross. None. I will keep your things hostage until you bring back my baby!”

The conversation continued like that with him helping her shop over the phone under the guise of a fight they both knew they weren’t having. They didn’t hang up until Betty was parking and telling him to come help with the bags. Jughead had been very moody and upset at the amount of work she had him do, bringing in far more bags than he thought necessary even as she told him that she needed spices, what kind of house didn’t have salt?! They moved around each other easily, putting things away and finally filling up all the cabinets that had had previously been empty.

Once done, Jughead brought up the topic swimming in his head tentatively.

“Betts, I don’t want you feeding them. They’re smart kids, they’ll have to figure it out.”

“What? No. No. Absolutely not. It’s not their fault that they don’t have a hot meal waiting at home, I want to help them. They’re _kids_ Jughead.”

“I know that, but they have to figure it out. We’re not a soup kitchen; I just give them a place to crash when they’re not safe. It’s better than sleeping on the street.”

“And being safe doesn’t include being fed? I’m sorry but I can’t let _children_ go hungry. I wont do it, not if I can help it. I’m paying for the food, I’ll refund you the electric and gas if you want. I just can’t leave kids be hungry.”

“Betty,” he put his hands on her shoulders and met her eyes with his, a small sigh leaving his lips. “They’ll love it, and they’ll get attached to you and then your house will be livable and you’ll move back and forget about them and the last thing they need is another adult to leave them. There’s a reason they don’t come down here. I’m not their guardian or their friend, I’m just a guy in a big house. That’s all.”

“Then I’ll quit the school and help here. They don’t pay me anyway and I’m doing alright with the garage, I only check it once a week, the guys got it covered and the writing doesn’t really take as long as it used to anymore. Juggie I need to help them.” She said and there was something in her eyes, something that screamed ‘because nobody helped me’ and Jughead recognized it, having worn that look before. He didn’t say a word more, thinking he could bring it up again at a later time but for now, she seemed almost scared of letting go of this plan, so he let it be.

“Alright.” He just said with a sigh all his own. “So, Ms. Cooper, what are we making for lunch today?” He smiled instead, trying to get that worried look off her face, he didn’t like it at all, he much preferred her smiling and giggling.

“We?!” She furrowed her eyebrows and touched his forehead as if checking for a fever. “ _We_ are not making anything. You didn’t have a ladle, _Mr. Jones_ , I hardly think you’re qualified. Don’t you have work to do today at the shop?”

“Nope!” He popped the ‘p’ and waggled her eyebrows. “And I’ll have you know that I did have a ladle, it was very nice and it worked great and it was silver with a hole on the grip and everything! Very chef like.” He said nodding seriously, proud of himself.

“Oh, so you’re saying my cabinets are done, then.” She spoke as she moved through the kitchen, pulling ingredients he was sure he had never had before in his house. Like flour. “What happened to said professional ladle of yours?” She looked over her shoulder at him with a raised eyebrow, nearly bursting out laughing when his whole face colored red, clearly he had not been expecting the question.

“I take Mondays off. Your cabinets can wait given you don’t have _walls_!” He pointed out and cleared his throat trying to distract her from her question by reaching for a bowl she had cracked eggs into and starting to whisk them with a fork. “Whisks are a waste of money, I can do it with a fork, which I already have.”

“You also already have a whisk. Or I do, I guess. So…the ladle?” She wasn’t about to let it drop, the more he avoided it, the more she expected from the story.

“I was tired.” He finally said.

“And?”

“And it was in a bowl of soup”

“And? Oh, come on, out with it!”

“I microwaved the bowl of soup with the pretty _silver_ ladle in it. And then the ladle burned my hand when I tried taking it out so I chucked it out the window. It might still be there if nobody took it when they were mowing.”

That was it. That was incredible and Betty couldn’t help the snort followed by long minutes of clutching-her-stomach with laughter, bending over and even making him start laughing too.

“You’re a cruel woman, laughing at me like that!” He said through his own chuckles.

"Oh, Jughead Jones,” Her eyes twinkled with mischief and challenge, “I never said I was a good girl.” She didn’t know where that had come from, but around him she didn’t feel scared of being a goof or even a little daring, even after only a few conversations. Jughead swallowed and handed her bowl, eyes never leaving hers.

 * * *

The next morning found Betty standing at the end of the outside stairs that lead directly to the third floor with a foldable plastic table meant for picnics full of brown paper bags labeled “lunch”, each of which had a meal consisting of protein, whole grains, fruit, orange juice and a note that read “You are awesome, You’ll do great today!” She figured as she got to know the kids she could personalize the notes. She also had what seemed like a million breakfast burritos wrapped in foil to keep them warm. Three and a piece of fruit per person.

As the kids came down one by one she got the questions time and time again “How much is it?” “What do we have to do to get one?” and the most painful one “Why are you helping us?” Which had come from a kid no older than six with the biggest brown eyes full of curiosity. She had hugged him for no reason he understood, but he had hugged her back and she answered each question “Free”, “Follow the rules Mr. Jones gave you”, and “Because I want you to remember me when you’re rich and famous.” This last answer seemed to make them all laugh. She was surprised to find nobody asked her who she was, as if she was a transient being, here today, gone tomorrow, no point in remembering a name. She swore silently to herself that she would prove them wrong. She was handing the burritos to the six year old when he refused.

“Sorry. But someone said it smells like peanuts.” He said and she nodded, confused. “I’m allergic.” He said with a shrug even with his arms still around her waist.

“Well…that wont do. You take two lunch bags today, then, have one for breakfast. Tomorrow I’ll have a peanut free breakfast just for you.” She said, to which he beamed and she kissed the top of his head.

“Excuse me!” She spoke loudly, breaking from his hold to move up the steps, just a couple so everyone could see her. “Before you all go, good morning! I’m Ms. Cooper. I’m a teacher at Riverdale Elementary and I will be here every morning before school with breakfast and lunch.” She smiled and the kids talked amongst themselves, she even saw the exchange of a bill. “For those of you betting, don’t. You’ll just lose your money because I’m not going anywhere.” She noticed Lia and Liam in the back, holding hands still, they looked so small even for eleven and twelve years old.

“Today, for those of you coming back there will be a signing sheet on the outside door of the third floor-You don’t have to put your names down if you don’t want, but write something down, your favorite color or fruit, or initials, something. It would just make it easier for me to cook the right amount in the morning. Please also write down if you have any allergies AND-“ She said, meeting the eyes of those who seemed to be thinking the way she had as a kid, “I will not believe you if you say you’re allergic to all vegetables.” She chuckled when a few kids deflated. “If you need help with homework you let me or Mr. Jones know, there will be milk and cookies whether you need help or you want to offer help to those who need it. Just something to keep in mind. Have a great day at school! I can’t wait to hear all about it!” She said with a clap of her hands and a wide smile as she trotted down the steps.

“Ms. Cooper?” She smiled at the group of kids approaching, “Can we have extra lunches since there are so many.” She furrowed her eyebrows,

“You don’t think you’ll be full from that?” She asked, concerned that maybe the bags weren’t full enough.

“No! But we have friends who also don’t have lunch sometimes.” The girl speaking seemed so tough, her jaw set in place, stance ready for rejection as if nothing could hurt her and yet her tone was that of a small child learning Santa didn’t exist. Betty smiled warmly.

“If course. Take as many as you think you’ll need, I was going to donate it anyway.” She watched as they ran to the others and was amazed by what she saw. Betty half expected them to grab all that was left for them, for others, just to have and hide for later as she had done as a kid, but instead they formed a type of circle around Lia and Liam while Lia wrote down what the others said. She watched, confused until Lia approached with a list.

“These are the people we’re thinking of.” She said and handed the list over as if to prove they weren’t lying and Betty thought her heart couldn’t be broken anymore but it was.

“Take as many as you need, I’m not counting. I trust you.” She hugged the girl, who hugged her back with fierce strength.

“Thank you for not lying about being here today.” She said with one signal of her wrist everyone headed to the table to grab bags in the midst of conversation about who had class with whom so they could hand over the lunches. Betty didn’t know it yet, but she was falling in love with each of those little faces and there would be no way to talk her out of helping. They were all gone and she was cleaning up when Jughead came out shaking his head and smiling.

“You’re screwed.” He said, leaning against the side of the stairs watching her pack up. “You can’t do that, you can’t get attached, some of them only come once, others come everyday for a year and then they’re just gone. You’ll get hurt.”

“I found your ladle.” She said in return, showing him the offending object which was no longer silver but rather a mixture of black spots and dirt and rust. “I think it’s garbage.” She was also smiling when she turned back to him. “It’s okay if I get hurt, they need someone to believe in them, Jug.”

“Yeah. They do.”

“Show me the third floor?” She asked hopefully wringing her hands together, it was only a couple of days since she had been told it was off limits, but a girl could hope. Jughead sighed but motioned up with his chin and she followed him up.

Just like Jughead had described it was a long hallway full of doors, mostly white with two blue and two pink doors. He pointed at the colorful ones and simply said “bathrooms”. The rooms themselves were perfectly made up in creams and greens and yellow. He explained he wanted them to be gender neutral, for everyone to have somewhere to go. Most rooms had two bunk beds, and therefore room for four people. As they made their way down the hall finding little notes left on pillows from kids who had stayed to those who would stay, Betty felt tears falling down her cheeks. They said things like ‘it might get better one day. Everyone says it does.’ And ‘Do your homework, it’s your way out the South Side.’ They were all sweet and encouraging and it hurt that these kids found themselves parenting each other because their parents wouldn’t. The last bedroom had sign at the door that read “Lia & Liam” and beneath that “Theo and Talia” Betty opened the door slowly and Jughead walked in behind her. This room was still clean and organized but it was full of personal knickknacks, a poster several make up brushes, clothes in the small closet.

“Are they here full time?” She asked, eyebrows raised looking at Jughead.

“As much as they can be.”

“Who are Theo and Talia?” She saw a few hand made toys and stuffed animals, she wanted to challenge Jughead, tell him that this couldn’t be, even if their parents sucked, he could get in trouble for kidnapping if the kids were never going back home, it could be dangerous for him and the kids.

“Theo is the kid who hugged you like he hadn’t had a hug from an adult in his life, and to be fair, he probably hasn’t. His parents are…Not good.” He settled for. “Talia was his older sister. She was actually the one who inspired me to do all this.”

“Was?” She asked, terrified of the answer eyes filling with tears in anticipation. Jughead saw this and moved closer to her rubbing soothing circles on her back.

“She took her life when she was fifteen. Brought Theo over here when he was…I mean, he must have been three or four, I think. She begged me to take care of him. She only knew me because I had fixed up their trailer a few months earlier, but she begged and begged and I was stupid enough to promise and then she went home and just…gave up. Took a bottle of her mother’s pills.” He looked away from Betty, still feeling guilty, thinking he could have done _something_ to help her if only he had noticed. Betty must have seen it because as it had been doing all morning, the feeling to hug him overtook her and she did just that.

“What you’re doing is amazing. You’re giving these kids a new lease on life. You can’t blame yourself for not being able to help everyone.” She whispered, but she was crying, feeling his pain in full without realizing that the more she knew, the more her feet cemented to the ground. She was going to help however she could.

The rest of the day found them lazily hanging around the house, Jughead had found one excuse or another to stick around but she could tell that it was mostly to make sure she was okay with everything she’d learned that morning. It was, after all, a lot to take in. She had learned more about Lia and Liam as well, apparently they had come to ask for help with English essays having learned that Jughead had a degree in English and Creative Writing and had just…stayed. Betty was getting more and more curious about how a carpenter who apparently did most of his work for free or in exchange of something as silly as a home cooked meal or a knit sweater made the type of money necessary to buy land like he had, but she didn’t ask, thinking maybe he had an inheritance or unsavory business she rather not know about, though somehow she doubted both of those.

Throughout the day they walked around each other, he spent some time in the library and she in the office making lists of possible meals. They had had the extra bagged lunches for their own lunch and then she had moved on to bake cookies to make good on her promise. They had joked and teased and even at one point sat on the couch slowly moving closer and closer together until she was completely cuddled up to him with one of his arms wrapped around her shoulder keeping her close. They were just like that, actually when there was a knock at the door, and Jughead, without reason or thought kissed the top of her head before mumbling something about not getting freaking cable, to which Betty giggled.

He could not have been more surprised, though when he opened the door and all the kids who he’d previously offered homework help to stood there with books and notebooks. “Mr. Jones,” Said Liam, “Ms. Cooper said we could get milk and cookies if we did our homework here.” He said and Jughead looked back her like he was going to both kill her and kiss her senseless, Betty, trying to ignore the twisting, pleasant feeling in in stomach shrugged as he let them all in.

“Okay! Okay…books and notebooks on the floor by the couch, milk and cookies first! Who wants tea? Come on, food around the table!” Jughead looked at the scene absolutely astonished and yet the first thought that came to mind was that this was the first time that table wasn’t big enough, he would be making a bigger one first thing in the morning.


	5. A Better Place to Enjoy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jughead find themselves alone, awake and amorous. They connect in a way they haven't yet and Betty tells Jughead a secret she's been holding since her move to Riverdale. 
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -SMUT AHEAD  
> -For some reason it was harder to write this smut than usual, so...forgive me if it's not as hot as it usually is. If you're looking for really hot smut, check out Strings Attached ;)

Betty roamed the halls of the house as quietly as she could, moving her head from side of side trying to rid herself of the kinks that had formed on her neck. She was tired, exhausted, actually but couldn’t seem to get to sleep, so after a few hours of tossing and turning she had gone to the kitchen, made herself some tea and she was now walking around in her pajamas, a silky set consisting of a barely there tank top, barely there shorts and an open robe that matched. Holding the tea with both hands she headed to the library, maybe some good reading would tire her out. She entered careful not to make a sound when she closed the door behind her and looked at the spines of the books. There was everything from contemporary to young adult fiction, fantasy, greek mythology, law, it was an eclectic collection that proved that Jughead not only loved reading but also _learning_. She smiled as she reached a section that seemed like the beginning of a series followed by empty spaces surely for the books to come.

She grabbed the first and read the blurb, deciding that she shouldn’t start a series until it was done, she knew how she was waiting for books to come out but as she got to the end of the blurb on the inside cover she noticed the name: Forsythe Jones III. Odd name, she thought and turned to inside back cover to look at the picture, gasping.

“Ah, you found my secret.” His voice was smooth but she startled nonetheless, having expected to be alone and glad she hadn’t jumped with the hot tea still in hand. Jughead was leaning against the doorframe of the double doors that separated the office from the library. “What are you doing up this late?” He came in slowly his eyes trailing up and down her body, unable in this late hour to hide the way he watched her. She was barely wearing anything at all and god, those legs went on forever it seemed. He’d been looking since they’d met, but always far more quietly, in a reserved way not wanting to make her feel like prey, but at the moment, as tired as he was, in the late hour when secrets were often shared, he played his hand.

“You’re an author.” It wasn’t a question but her tone showed that she was amazed and impressed and that she had noticed his looking, not that it mattered, she was looking too. He was also barefoot in nothing but low-hung pajama pants and now that she could see his torso she had to admit she’d been wanting to do just that since the day they’d met. His body was lean and firm, she wanted to lick up his sun kissed abs, she thought with a blush and then realized that no, she wanted to lick _down_ his abs to that perfect happy trail and let it guide her to where she could make him happy. She cleared her throat and looked back up to him. “I couldn’t sleep.” She managed, voice wavering and wondering exactly what had gotten into her, after all, she had never been the forward type.

“Neither could I. I never can when I’m suffering from writer’s block.” He took one step forward and she would have moved but she was stuck in place, absolutely unable to move or think at all. He reached for the book, she let go of it and when he took it and then yet another step towards her, now stepping well into her personal space to put the book back on the shelf over her shoulder. Jughead took the tea from her, too, putting it down on a small round coffee table separating two leather armchairs. Betty could hear her breath, her heartbeat going erratic, her body begging for his touch even as she tried to talk herself down her nipples perked up and then his hands were on her neck, fingers wide, touching her face and his lips were on hers.

It was an innocent kiss for all of three seconds and then he had pushed her against the bookcases lining the wall with a loud thump and she had _moaned_ chasing his lips when he had pulled away to apologize and cutting him off by biting his bottom lip and pulling until he groaned and went right back to kissing her senseless, his body pressing onto hers, unafraid and without an ounce of embarrassment letting her feel how much he wanted her.

A part of Betty told her that she should stop, that this wasn’t wise to do with the man she lived with, but she wasn’t sure where that part was and didn’t care to find out either. The moment she felt him, hard and clearly wanting her, she became his putty and she would have it no other way, she raised a leg and wrapped it around his lower back pulling away from his lips only to catch her breath right as her hips reacted and moved against him.

His hips reacted too, with a sound that practically a growl he pushed his hips forward to trap her against him and they moved against each other, their cores rubbing with far too much fabric in between until Betty kissed up his neck to his earlobe, biting it and then whispered “We’re not teenagers, I’m over the dry humping phase of my life.”

“Fffffuck, Betty…” His hands moved down her sides to her waist, squeezing her there and then kept moving to her hips holding them against the bookcase so she couldn’t rub up against him anymore and he took a step back making her leg fall back to ground. She was pouting and he could barely hold it together. “God, I fucking want you.” He said looking at her up and down and then down at himself where he knew he was leaking but he also knew that the wet spot on his pants _had_ to be hers.

Betty reached for him and grabbed the waistband of his pants pulling him forward just enough for her to reach into his pants, her bottom lip between her teeth and grabbed him. He groaned and his hands moved away from her hips to the books behind her, his head falling forward as she moved her hand up and down his length, “Then take me.” She whispered and that was it, all he had needed.

Jughead put his hand over hers, stilling her movements and bringing her hand out his pants. What happened next was too fast for either of them to understand or question, but she was naked and pushing down his pants, both of them moving in a frenzy, unable to stop even if they wanted to. Both her legs were wrapped around his waist and he was aligned in a last moment of sanity he managed to ask, “Are you sure?” She had just nodded, the smallest and neediest of “please” falling from her lips and then he’d pushed into her with shaky legs.

“Holy FUCK I’m not gonna last.” He admitted at the feeling of just how hot and tight and fucking _wet_ she was for him. He was finally able to look at her perky nipples and he couldn’t help but to lower his face until one was in his mouth, sucking it and letting it go with a pop.

“Juggie,” Betty said, breathlessly, tightening herself on purpose, letting him _feel_ how tight she could be for him, she tangled her hand on his luscious, gorgeous hair, hair she’d been wanting to comb through with her fingers since she’d met him and pulled his face up. “Move, I promise we can take our time later.” She promised and with heavy eyes and the promise for more, Jughead did move.

He moved in and out of her with such force that she bounced on him, her back getting scratched up and bruised against the bookcase, she didn’t mind, in fact, she didn’t even feel it yet, too lost in a pleasure she hadn’t allowed herself to partake in in about five years. He was big, certainly bigger than she had thought, but holy god it felt good and she let him know it with whimpers and moans. She didn’t know if it was just how long she’d been single or that he actually knew exactly what he was doing because he kept hitting that one spot inside her that even her previous boyfriend never managed to find with blinding accuracy. He was panting and biting the juncture between her neck and shoulder, the sound of their bodies moving in synchronization loud in the seemingly empty house.

“Oh…Oh, God…oh Fffffff-Jughead…Jug…Juggie I can’t, I’m gona…”

“Fuck me too…should I-“

“Come inside me.” She begged, too turned on to be embarrassed of what she was asking. It had always been a kink for her, and somewhere in her mind, along with the voice telling her she shouldn’t fuck her only friend in town, there was another telling her this was dangerous to her health. She didn’t care right then. No sooner had she spoken that he had crashed his lips with hers and just like that she was tightening impossibly around him and he emptying himself inside her.

They stayed like that, panting until her weight became to much for his legs, which he decided were probably made of Jelly. Betty winced when he pulled out of her and she felt hot liquid moving down her leg. She looked down, slowly trying to calm down and realize what they had done. She was about to freak out, about to say they shouldn’t have done that, about to apologize and tell him she’d move out if he wanted her to, about to listen to all those voices now coming forth, but then she was distracted by Jughead having dropped to his knees to lick the cum that escaped off of her leg all the way up, flicking her oversensitive clit with his tongue and then leaving a kiss on her stomach.

He stood slowly and combed her hair back, quietly, and kissed her lips in the most tender way possible, his hands once again on her neck, fingers spread over her face. “You’re so beautiful Betty Cooper.” And just that silenced the voices all over again.

“So are you.” She replied honestly, because he was beautiful inside and out, his soul, his person was so caring and loving and alone.

“Come to bed with me?” He asked and she just nodded, forgetting that she should be embarrassed or shy about being nude in front of a man she barely knew and yet knew so well. He tangled his fingers with hers until they were perfectly intertwined, leaving no spaces between skin and skin, their hands were a zipper, meant to be together.

“Should I…” She blushed, she didn’t want to bring it up now, but she would hate herself if she didn’t. “Should I get tested?”

“I don’t think so. I got tested last time I…it was a long time ago.” He looked at his feet, only then realizing he, too was naked and needed to not be while he walked around the house. Jughead let go of her hand only to slip on his pants again and she followed suit, pulling on her Pajamas.

“Me too.” She admitted with a blush and looked anywhere but at him. “Is this a mistake? Will this cause issues?” Always the cautious one, she was always ready to give up momentary happiness to avoid long term pain.

“God I hope not. I’m surprised this even worked. A girl like you…from the right side of the tracks?” He kissed her cheek, he didn’t know what this was but he did know he had never touched anyone he didn’t have feelings for. He had never really been the physical type, not for fun’s sake.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since I saw you at shop.” She admitted with a deepening blush that was now all over her neck and chest.

“Really?” He teased, eyebrow high on his forehead. She chuckled and slapped his chest. “This calls for a round two, so I can really show you what I can do. Let me make you feel good, take my time, spoil you.” And then he smirked, “Let me make you loud.”

Betty swallowed thickly and nodded with wide eyes, she didn’t know if she needed all of that, god, she just wanted to kiss him for hours on end until they both fell asleep, but not needing and not wanting were very, _very_ different things. She followed him out of the room, still holding his hand and forgetting all about her tea.

*** * ***

Jughead opened the door to his room tentatively, feeling exposed and even a little nervous. It was certainly a master suite and though she did look around, her eyes were mostly trained on him as he lead her deep into the room passing doors that surely lead to a closet, a sitting area, a desk, and eventually to a king size bed. No words were exchanged when he turned to look at her and slowly, with a hand on her neck and another on her waist he kissed her. It was slow and tender and not at all what she had expected. She had fully expected him to push her against the door as soon as they were in his room and take her, instead he was holding her like she was something precious, something worth being adored.

They moved slowly towards the bed as he kissed her, and before the bed touched the back of her knees he pulled away from the kiss, leaving another tender one on her forehead and met her eyes to make sure she was sure about this, Betty gave the smallest of nods and he slipped her top off of her. He laid her down on the bed with all the care of someone handling the most delicate of treasures and began kissing down her body. This time she wouldn’t stop him from taking his time, even if she begged. He kissed down her neck and chest to her breasts and sucked one nipple into his mouth, rolling it and biting it until her hands were behind her and her body arching towards him. He took his time with the other breast too, his fingers moving up and down her inner thigh almost to the point she wanted but not quite. She was whimpering and writhing her whole body moving, chasing his touch, his lips, his fingers and he was harder than he’d been in ages. Seeing her like that, so willing and needy for him it was more than he’d imagined even in his weakest of moments hoping for anything resembling her on his bed.

“Jughead, please…please touch me.” She begged, and how the fuck was he supposed to say no to that?

It was a long, delicious night.

When Betty opened her eyes, she noticed the sun was out and she stretched, looking besides her at the gorgeous naked man next to her, he had done things to her she had never even thought people did outside of pornography and she was pretty sure as sated as she was that she would never tire of him, his hands, those lips…She decided to wake him up with a thank you, kissing down his body slowly and disappearing under the sheets to lick a thick stripe up his morning wood. She heard him groan, clearly not awake yet and slowly she took him into her mouth, taking her time, curling her tongue and bobbing her head slowly.

“Holy fuck, I thought I was dreaming…Fuck baby, don’t stop, god that feels…Jesus Christ…” He didn’t seem able to stop talking and Betty made a mental note that Jughead could be talkative in the mornings under the right circumstance. Something didn’t seem right, though, the sun had been out, why had that surprised her? With a sudden jolt of realization she jumped off the bed and grabbed her pajamas from the night before.

“Hey, where’s the fire? You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, you know that, right?” He asked, her panic sticking to him and making him assume the worst possible things.

She pecked his lips and ran out of the room. “Stay in bed! Breakfast!” She called out to him already half way down the stairs, “And lunch! I have to cook for the kids!” She tied her hair in a messy bun and once downstairs realized she had to go all the way up to get the sign in sheet, so, she ran like hell.

“Ms. Cooper?” Liam asked coming down the stairs. “They sent me to look for you and ask about-“

“Liam! I overslept. I need help, call everyone in, today we’re making the meals together!” She announced with a huge, slightly manic smile and kept running up. Once she had the list on hand she looked at it, ten kids. It wasn’t that bad, she could do this.

They all came in looking confused and she smiled sweetly at them. “Alright older kids on this side of the table and younger on this side!” She announced and quickly started an assembly line. The older kids were cutting fruit, chopping vegetables and weighing out ingredients. Betty was at the stove, cooking like a mad woman, and the younger kids were making the bags for lunch and wrapping the breakfast burritos, a repeat, sure, but without peanuts this time.

It took forty minutes and it was messy and it wasn’t the way she liked it, but she still managed to get a note in everyone’s bags, this one read “I’m sorry. I promise to do better tomorrow. Have a wonderful day! <3” The kids seemed to leave happily, though, clearly unbothered with having to have helped her. She felt exhausted then, and was ready to move upstairs but instead moved to start brewing coffee right as Jughead came down to join her. She frowned.

“What’s wrong?” He asked noticing her pout immediately and walking around the island to stand behind her, moving her hair to the side and kissing down from behind her ear to her neck.

“You’re here and I was on my way up there to bring you coffee.” She said with pouty lips and a whiny tone.

“Are you trying to tell me that you were expecting me to stay in bed as you had asked?” He chuckled against her skin, reveling in the way she tilted her head to give him more space to kiss up the gorgeous column of her neck.

“Would that be a crazy expectation?” She asked cheekily with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, Ms. Cooper, you told me you’re not a good girl and I’m telling you now I suck at following directions.” He challenged and he swore his heart stopped all together when she answered.

“It’s okay, I can teach you.” She said, her tone breathy, “I never finished my breakfast.” She was biting her bottom lip again, the spaghetti strap of her tank had fallen down her arm and Jughead decided then, that she would be the death of him and that he was absolutely fine with that.

“Let’s see if I can give you something you like,” He grumbled in her ear, pressing the full length of his body against her back, letting her feel how hard she’d left him and almost as if her body reacted without her consent she moved backwards against him, which Jughead took as a sign not to stop. With a hand flat on her back he bent her over the island, amazed at how she responded without an ounce of hesitation, even getting on the balls of her feet rub her ass up and down his clothed length. Jug pushed her shorts down her legs, not bothering to take them off of her and did the same with his joggers, caressing down her back with one hand while he aligned himself with the other and pushed in slowly with a loud groan.

The previous night they had taken their time exploring each other but they hadn’t really gotten loud indulging the intimacy they were building with one another, now, with nobody at home, the face that they were in the kitchen, the way she looked bent over just for him, it was hard not to. He pulled out painstakingly slowly, and then, grabbing her hips with both hands so she didn’t hurt herself hitting the marble, he pushed back in hard and fast and it was her turn to moan loudly, arching her back and holding to the island for dear life as they started moving in sync. She was still amazed by the fact that he managed to hit _that_ spot inside her with nearly every thrust and he had her panting in no time. It was only a few minutes before he had snaked a hand around her and started circling her clit with his middle finger, getting her so close to the edge that she actually began tightening around him. But then he pulled out so only the head of his dick was inside her and bent so his body covered hers and his lips were by her ear. “What do you want?”

“Fuuu…Jughead, I swear to god if you don’t-“ He pushed inside her with enough force for the sound of skin slapping hers filled the kitchen. She moaned loudly, closing her eyes and trying to remember what she was about to say.

“What do you want, Betts? Tell me.” He teased and bit the juncture between her neck and shoulder.

“Make me cum.” She managed past her blush in a shy little voice that didn’t match their actions at all. Still, she had said it, and so, like a good boy, he followed directions this once, starting to move in earnest until they were both panting and gasping and finding orgasms with one another.

Betty was still trying to catch her breath, bent over the island with her cheek on the stone in hopes to cool off when he pulled out of her making her wince. He kissed her neck with a chuckle and pulled her shorts back into place, pulling his own pants up and moving to make her a clearly much needed cup of coffee.

After their very…active morning, they found themselves lounging on the couch again, just cuddled together quietly, each of them lost in thoughts of what they were, how far this could go and what the hell their past night and morning meant for them overall. Jughead played with Betty’s hair, combing it back and twirling it, while Betty let her fingers dance on thigh in idle patterns and shapes.

“I thought you’d wake up today and regret the whole thing. I thought you would ask me to forget it all and pretend it never happened.” He admitted and she looked up at him with a sigh, she wasn’t expecting to share much of herself with him, at least not yet, but that admission and having found his books, she figured she owed him a little something of her own.

“So…I told you I was attracted to you when I saw you,” She started, “But I didn’t tell you why I didn’t just,” she shrugged, “tell you, I guess. So, buckle up this is several stories in one.” She pressed her lips together trying to figure out where to begin. He looked down at her, his eyes full of curiosity and patience. “When I was in high school I had a boyfriend,” She begun and he scoffed earning a dirty look from him.

“Sorry, but come on, of course you did. Look at you. I bet you were a cheerleader and he was a football player and you were valedictorian and he didn’t have a brain.” Jughead rolled his eyes a little but tightened his hold of her. “Sorry, continue.”

“I mean, you’re not wrong. Anyway, come prom, everyone was talking about losing their virginity and ‘just doing it’ like it was expected or something but I talked to him, I told him I didn’t want to and he respected that…or at least he did until at the after party people starting pairing off and disappearing to their hotel rooms. He gave me a drink, some sort of jungle juice and I mean, I have been with this guy for three years, I thought I was going to marry him, but he…Well, let’s be blunt, he told me the drink should make me feel better but he didn’t want to be with me anymore and just like that he was going to the room he’d gotten for us with another girl, another cheerleader, actually.” She chuckled, but it was forced and clearly she was uncomfortable.

Jughead was trying to be respectful, but he had no idea why he needed to know about her being dumped in high school, so many years had passed and it wasn’t like he was about to tell her about his high school experience any time soon.

“Anyway, you know New York, I didn’t want to take a cab and I wasn’t too far from home, so I decided to walk. Worse decision of my life. I’m not sure how it happened or how drunk I was, all I know is that one minute I was walking down the street and the next I was crying hysterically in an ambulance with blood between my legs. Fun fact, most women don’t actually bleed when they lose their virginity, but the men were so brutal so…anyone, I hadn’t had sex since then.” She swallowed thickly and shook her head. “Two days later I started the blog, two months later I was still having panic attacks and I just wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote and stopped having any relationships. I started getting a huge following, but the bigger the blog got, the smaller the city felt, the more anxiety I had. I was getting stopped on the street by girls who wanted to take pictures with me, so I took the picture of me on the about page off and replace it with a drawing.” She looked up at him wondering if he cared at all but she didn’t have to wonder at all, he looked both scared and livid. The knuckles on the hand that wasn’t holding her were white on the arm of the couch, grabbing onto it as if he was ready to kill someone, his nostrils flared and his eyes, god, his eyes looked like both fire and rain.

“It took several years to build to where it is now but I took some magazine interviews about the blog, but I never talked about that night and then the site really took off. The issue was that magazines need pictures and the photographers made me look really…desirable, so then it wasn’t just girls coming up to me, it was men who had seen me on their daughters’ magazines and that I just-I couldn’t handle men I didn’t know walking up to me. I mean…” She bit her lip and then whispered, “I’m making enough money that I could live in Manhattan, alone in a two bedroom apartment without a problem. The site brings in so much traffic that I have advertising deals on it and on social media too, and I don’t know if you saw the store, but I’m selling a bunch of things, and I’m just…I do well, but I needed to be somewhere where nobody knew me. That’s how I got here. I didn’t expect to be as lonely as I’ve been.”

Jughead sighed and stayed quiet, for a few seconds and then kissed the top of her head. “You’re amazing. And strong. And if I ever learn their names, they’ll be found washed up Sweetwater River.” He said seriously. It took such strength to share something like that, so personal and so deep, especially to someone she didn’t even really know. In turn, he chose to give her something too. “Well…I thought you were hot the second you walked into the shop.” He made sure his tone was light and conversational, trying to get mind off of the horrible memories and onto something better. “But I didn’t think a Barbie girl would ever give me the time of day much less _like_ me.” He chuckled at his own juvenile chose of words. “Still, I settled for someone to talk to, that was still more than I had on most days. This town can feel as lonely as a city sometimes.”

“Oh…” She furrowed her eyebrows and then sat up, not making any space between them, but wanting to stop talking about serious, sad topics and choosing instead to poke fun at him. “Is that why you messed up your bike before you brought it over to mine?”

“What are you talking about?” He asked, but he was blushing and she knew she had caught him.

“Your bike was perfectly fine, Jughead, clearly you get it serviced often, also clearly you know so little about engines you didn’t even know how to make it look broken.” She smiled and poked his ribs making him jump and glare at him.

“So what? Maybe I was testing you to see if I can trust you with my baby.”

“Pft, I could cut your breaks in front of you and you wouldn’t know what I did!” She mocked smiling and glad they were moving towards lighter topics.

“Maybe I just really wanted the pretty girl to give me the time of day.”

“Well, I’ve given you a little more by now, haven’t I?”

“Mmm…much better. Who needs to know the time when we’re spending it like _that_?” He chuckled and brought his lips down to hers. Maybe they didn’t know where they stood yet, maybe that a conversation that had to be had, but for now it certainly felt like being on the right path to somewhere.


	6. Family First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty makes a big choice and hopes it's the right one while Jughead tries to figure out where he stands with her. Meanwhile, the children begin getting used to having Betty there everyday but even the smallest mistake can make them give up on her completely.
> 
> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -Smut ahead  
> -This chapter is a little jumpy and covers a lot of ground, please let me know if you have questions! 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Betty knew her free time was ending and she was going to have to make a choice soon. She knew she wanted to keep helping the kids, but she also missed the school, even with teachers who didn’t say good morning, spoiled kids who’s parents simply did not agree with any grade they got other than A’s and a principle who spent more time on the phone with her husband than actually doing her job. Yeah, she missed the school, right? She shook her head as she made the meals having finally come up with a better system. She had gotten Tupperware that she could write on with dry erase markers, so the names and the notes could be changed daily and she could send better meals than sandwiches. Currently she was making homemade chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes. It was early, so early the sun hadn’t quite come up yet, but she preferred it that way, it gave her time to do everything she needed to and finally log on to her website, which admittedly, she had been ignoring for a few days unsure of what to write.

The pot of coffee was brewing and the sounds of the kids waking up were starting to be heard when the paddling of bare feet made it to her, and though she didn’t look up at him, she couldn’t help but smile.

“I missed you in bed last night.” His voice was rough and deep with sleep and the fact that those were his first words that morning almost made her laugh.

“I have my own bed, and my own bedroom, in fact, if you don’t recall.” She said back, handing him a bowl of peas to start putting a couple spoonfuls in each Tupperware.

“Oh, I know you do, I just thought you’d…” He gave up, putting the peas aside and turning towards her. “Can I kiss you good morning?”

“That…is a much better way to start the day.” She answered and leaned in, their lips and bodies molding together easily as if they’d been doing this for years. She waited for Jughead to grab the peas again before speaking, “I’m not going to take over your space, Jughead, I mean, we had sex once, it’s not exactly the point at which people move in.”

“I seem to remember it very differently, because it wasn’t once. In fact, I’m not sure it was on the single digits and you’ve already moved in.” He finished with the peas and grabbed the diced carrots without being asked going through the same process again.

“You know what I mean. It’s not like we’re dating.” She said easily, it didn’t _feel_ easy to say, but it had to be put out there that she did know where she stood.

“We aren’t?” He asked, looking at her dumbfounded, clearly disagreeing.

“Are we?” She looked back at him with wide eyes and he sighed.

“I can fix this. Ms. Betty Cooper, will you go on a date with me?” He combed a few tendrils of her hair behind her ear and caressed down her cheek, “I would feel honored to be graced with your presence at a dinner uninterrupted by children in some sort of fancy restaurant.”

Betty, of course, was blushing wildly. “Okay,” it was almost a whisper. And he leaned down to peck her lips there was a snicker by the stairs.

“Hey! Liiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaa you owe me money! I told you he would kiss her!” and with that, they broke apart to mumbles from Jughead about hooligans and scoundrels and rascals.

“I’m heading to the shop today, someone has to build your cabinets and I’m behind on work now that I have taken way too much time off.” He said, reaching for the coffee pot to serve himself the largest mug he could find, which, once full, she took from him handing him a smaller one.

“Thanks for serving me coffee, you’re wonderful!” She teased and threw some in the sink to add milk and sugar. “I have to get work done today, too, actually, could you drop me off at my house? I need to pick up my car sooner or later.”

Jughead just stared at her as she closed the meals and added smaller containers with fruit to the paper bags as well. “You stole my coffee. First you take my truck-“

“To buy you food!”

“Don’t interrupt, first you take my truck, then you take my coffee and _then_ worst of all, you deface it with _milk_. What’s next?!”

“It was soymilk, actually.”

“I’m calling off our date, you’re clearly the devil incarnate.”

“Mmmm…bad call, if I am, think of all the dirty, filthy things I’d be willing to do after the date.” She waggled get eyebrows suggestively with a laugh.

“Fine. Date’s back on. If I ever end up with soymilk in my cereal there will be hell to pay.” He complained and that only made Betty look at him with mischief.

“Drink your coffee, you’re cranky before coffee.” She laughed right as the kids came running downstairs and Betty stood straighter looking down at all of them.

“No running down the stairs! You could get hurt!” She said with pursed lips to a chorus of “Sorry Ms. Cooper” and more Jughead mumbles of “damn hooligans.” Even as he ruffled their hair while he walked past them and to the office.

“Alright! New lunch system! Please, please, _please_ don’t forget to bring back the containers, okay? These are better for the environment but I can’t be buying new ones every week! Got it?” She got a sea of nods and began distributing them and hugs.

“Alright! All teeth brushed? All breakfast had? All homework in backpacks? All lunches put away?” She asked as the kids got ready to leave for the day and it clicked, she didn’t miss the school at all and these kids with their big eyes and their innocence stripped away from them needed her much more than the kids on the north side of town. With that in mind she headed upstairs, took the fastest shower of her life and got dressed to quit. She was looking at herself on the mirror, telling herself she could do this, that quitting wasn’t quitting, it was starting down a better path when Jughead knocked on her door.

“Ready?”

“Yeah! Yes. Coming!” She looked at herself with resolve, Theo’s big eyes and strong arms wrapping around her coming to mind and suddenly, quitting didn’t seem daunting at all.

*** * ***

Betty was sure Jughead didn’t know how to drive, but it made for a very fun ride. He was speeding and making the truck jump, her hand on the ceiling holding herself in place while she laughed along with him. When she had walked out of her room he had ogled her, had told her she looked beautiful and that he was oaf which had made her kiss him, a simple, small peck on the lips and then she had teased him that he looked like a princess with such sparkly lips. In a moment of not feeling at all like himself and allowing the peaking of happiness through his walls he had batted his lashes at her and puckered his lips and since then they had been laughing so hard her stomach hurt as he drove.

“Slow dooooown!”

“I’m running late!”

“It’s your business! You can open a few minutes late!”

“Elisabeth Cooper! Are you telling me I can be _late_ and have not have you angry if I don’t make it for dinner?”

“That’s not what I said! You better be on time for dinner, we’re playing board games tonight and I’m going to kick your butt!”

That made him slow down and look over at her. “I don’t own any board games.”

“I do.” She sang happily, straightening up in her seat.

“Betty…You’re just getting yourself ready for disappointment. They wont show, these kids are not the type to have family time, they like having their own schedules, being alone, not having anyone to report to.” He tried to explain as softly as he could.

“I don’t think so. I think they act that way because they have no choice. I think if we give them a schedule and a set of rules and time with them, I think they’re starved for all of that, Juggie. I mean…have you seen the rooms upstairs? There’s no child in the country who cleans their room the way they do but it’s a rule and they want rules, rules means someone cares.” She turned to him as he parked in front of her house. “If they don’t show up, then that’s okay, I’ll keep trying.” She pecked his cheek and got out, “Have a great day, Juggie. I’ll swing by with lunch?” she smiled went into her house, which suddenly felt too empty, too quiet and too impersonal. Grabbing all the keys she needed she headed right out and into her car. She had a lot to do.

Jughead had listened to her intently but didn’t say anything other than “have a great day.” When she got off the truck and promptly headed to the shop, he really needed to do something with his hands to be able to think this through. When he was in their position Jughead hadn’t wanted structure, he hadn’t wanted hugs or help with homework, he wanted to be left alone, to be allowed to be his own person, take care of himself and let the world fuck off. But then, he would have loved a home-cooked meal, he would never admit to feeling jealous of the kids with notes in their lunches and maybe, had anyone cared that much, he too would have been convinced into a game night-not that it wasn’t stupid, but it was the least he could do, right? His mind was reeling and when that happened, his hands worked fast. Building came as easily to him as destroying once had.

Betty, on the other side of town had already stopped by Toys-R-Us and purchased table games before heading to the nearest office supply store and printing a list of meals to hand the Mrs. May when she quit. It was a full day, and she was glad for it, not wanting to think too much about what this meant for her and how her life would change. Big changes had never been easy for Betty which was probably the reason she had avoided them like the plague and yet, they had come nonetheless. It was a long day and by the time midday came, she was glad to take a break and visit Jughead, admittedly she was feeling a little overwhelmed with everything that happened in such a short period of time and she needed to talk to him-or anyone really, he just happened to be the only person she could actually talk to.

Jughead wasn’t aware of the time passing, too taken by the work at hand and his mind finding a million topics to slip in and out of, from the book he was writing to the gorgeous blonde he couldn’t seem to stop himself from picturing bent over or laying down every damn surface of the shop, naked for him to worship.

“Lunch?” She held up a reusable supermarket bag with yellow flowers from the entrance and Jughead thought two things: One, it was noon already? And Two, How the fuck had she gotten in through the locked door…alright, there was a third thought, but he was choosing to ignore it because he hated thinking that he’d rather have something other for lunch than whatever was in that bag.

“Hi. Yes. How did you get in?” He put the small carving tool he’d been holding on the table and started walking towards her.

“The door.”

“Which was locked.”

“I unlocked it. I knocked and you didn’t answer, so I figured you couldn’t hear me.”

“Could have called-wait, how did you unlock it?”

“I did, and don’t worry about that! Let’s eat! Where should I set up?”

They ate over the raw wood that would become the bigger table Jughead had promised himself he’d make. She had brought a rotisserie chicken and two salads which he glared at and she forced him to eat anyway. Their conversation was light and easy, but the longer they spent sitting there, pretending there was nothing to talk about, the more obvious it was they both had things to say.

“I have a rude question.” He announced, looking at his plate and moving the skin of the chicken from one side of the plate to the other.

“Oooooookaaaaay?”

“You said you didn’t have any relationships after…you were attacked.” He looked up, bringing this up. “So…does that mean that you had never…I mean…done anything? With anyone? Willingly, I mean, until the other night?”

When he’d begun the question, Betty had gone stiff, the blood in her veins had ran cold, she hated talking about it, but he deserved whatever answer he wanted, she just hadn’t expected the question to be _that_ and the surprise alone made her laugh.

“Oh…that’s it? Well, I mean,” She swallowed, “I hadn’t had sex with anyone, no. But I had done plenty with my high school boyfriend, I mean, you said it best, he was a football player and I was a cheerleader. There’s little we didn’t do. Let’s see…we never tried bondage, we never did anal because it grossed him out, none of the creepy things like furries or water sports or any of that grossness. But we did…you know, hands, mouths, dry humping, all that stuff. We even used toys a couple of times.” This part of sex was easy to talk about, it was actually a topic that she’d never shied away from, there was nothing wrong with being a sexual person. This change had actually come about after the attack, and the psychiatrist had called it ‘normal’; Hyper-sexualizing herself and learning as much as she could as a way to blame herself for the occurrence. Now, she had found a balance, but she refused to be shy or ashamed of her sexuality, she wasn’t a child anymore.

On the other hand, Jughead hated talking about these things and everything she mentioned made him shift in his seat uncomfortably and blush. He was still worried about the fact that he had basically taken her virginity, though he thought it was good that she felt safe enough with him to do that with if she never had before, still, they had only known one another for a short time and he didn’t want her regretting all of this. He stayed quiet, unsure of what to say to that, this new information left him with only more questions.

“You know, you’re very cute when you blush.” She smiled, “Look, Jug…what we did, and I hope we do again, honestly, it was consensual. I know my past is muddy and complicated but you did nothing wrong and I’m a grown woman and…well…can I be honest? I was getting tired of getting myself off, alone, in the bathtub and then here you were, gorgeous, smart, and apparently you wanted me too.”

“Right.” He nodded, looking up at her and sighing, “You’ll tell me? If it gets too much, if you want to stop, if…whatever. You have to tell me. I would never-I don’t want to ever be one of those men.”

“Oh, please. You couldn’t even if you wanted to. As proven by the fact that you’re worried about that, even when I’m here, alone with you, of my own accord…wearing heels and thigh-highs and no underwear beneath this skirt.” Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him and then daintily at the watch on her wrist. “Oh, well…tons to do, I gotta go. Hope you enjoyed lunch, Juggie.” She got up, fully aware that she wasn’t going anywhere and took all of half a step before he reached for her hand and pulled her onto his lap.

“You are seriously looking to get spanked, aren’t you?” His eyes were dark, his tone low and she could feel him getting hard. Without answering she looked around, spotting a wide arm chair.

“Maybe.” She got up from his lap and pulled him along to the chair, getting his jeans opened before sitting him down. Jughead reacted to everything, absolutely in shock she was taking control to this extent and unable to stop himself from finding it one of the hottest things he’d ever experienced. Betty wasted no time at all, getting on her knees and taking him in her mouth to make sure he was fully hard-which he was, painfully so, actually. She only bobbed her head a few times before straddling him, aligning herself and moving so only the very head of his cock was inside her. “One day, I’m actually going to finish that, and you’ll cum down my throat.” She whispered in his ear, feeling particularly naughty as she felt his hands grip her hips and his own try to move up further inside her.

She moved down so painfully slowly that she could feel the effort it was taking him not to turn her around and take her hard and fast like he had in the library. Once he was balls deep and she was fully seated, she rolled her hips in a move she’d seen on porn a hundred times and they both threw their heads back in loud moans.

Betty began moving a little faster, though still wanting to torture them both with the pace, “You know,” she said mid-thrust when he was practically falling out of her, “If someone came in and saw us, we could just be making out,” She pointed out given that from most any angle they looked fully dressed, “I don’t think I remembered to lock the door.” She said then, knowing it was a lie and immediately dropping all her weight on him and tightening around him.

“Holy shit!” Was all Jughead managed to get out, his hips now moving to meet her every thrust, moving faster and forcing her pace to pick up as he littered her neck and chest with kisses and bites. They moved in sync, panting and gasping for air the closer they got. Jughead’s face was buried in Betty’s neck and Betty’s hands were tangled in his hair when it just became too much and Jughead started biting his lip to hold back, wanting her to cum first. He moved a hand from her hip to her clit and moved his thumb against it until she was seeing blurry and with her nails digging into his scalp, back arching in the most sensual scene Jughead had ever witnessed, she came undone, tightening around him with such force that he was sure she was milking him for all he was worth. Jughead saw naught but black for several seconds, his hips stuttering upwards, lips parted and now both hands on her back holding her close and in place.

“Holy. Fuck.” He managed between deep breaths, opening his eyes barely to look up at Betty right on time to see her nod, completely blissed out, looking like an angel. She looked down at him with heavy lidded eyes and a soft smile before moving down for their lips to finally meet in a slow, indulgent kiss that was somehow more romantic than raunchy, even with him still inside her.

Jughead had spent the rest of the afternoon away from heavy machinery, not trusting himself and his wandering mind and Betty spent it in her house, ripping down wallpaper and humming “Do You believe in Love After Love” and other such songs to herself.

Having lost track of time she sped through the streets and jumped out of the car, running into the house only to find Jughead by the head of the table while the kids did homework, store-bought cookies in the center. If that wasn’t enough, Jughead was wearing Glasses and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him until she was pushed back by Theo who had ran towards her, wrapping his arms around her and looking up with big eyes.

“Ms. Cooper are you leaving us?” His voice was soft and small and his huge brown eyes were full of tears. The other kids all shifted in their seats expecting the worse and not meeting her eyes when she looked around at them. “Mr. Jones said you’re not but you weren’t here and he had to get cookies from the store.” Betty deflated and got down on her knees, hugging him so closely she was scared of hurting him but the little boy hugged her twice as hard.

“I’m not going anywhere, Theo, I just lost track of time.” She said and kissed his cheek before whispering in his ear, “I got games for us. Don’t tell anyone.” He perked up at that and nodded happily but still didn’t seem to want to let go. “Let’s go finish our homework, okay?” He nodded again and she grabbed his hand to bring him to the empty seat.

“So?” Asked Liam, clearly speaking for the group.

“Listen up, I know I’ll say this a hundred times and I know you guys wont believe it until it’s proven, but I’m not going anywhere. I have an announcement, actually.” She bit her bottom lip, wondering if Jughead was right. “I am not working at Riverdale Elementary anymore.” She said and looked around the table until a girl she’d never seen before who was about 75% attitude spoke up.

“So, what’d you do? Why’d you get fired?” and the kids looked up as if nothing of interest really had happened, as if they were used to the adults in their lives giving bad news and only bad news.

“I didn’t. I quit at Riverdale Elementary to spend more time here with you guys.” She smiled, but suddenly felt nervous and licked her lips, looking at Jughead and wondering if she should just stop and let go of her idea. “So…I was thinking we could have dinner all together to celebrate and then we could play some board games?” Everyone was quiet and she was sure they were only trying to figure out how to say no when Theo, clearly upset huffed.

“You suck!” He announced looking around the table. “I want to, Ms. Cooper!” He said with resolve no little kid should have, and yet he did. Lia and Liam smiled at each other and nodded, Liam spoke up.

“We’d like that too, Ms. Cooper.”

“Yeah, okay. Got nothing else to do.” Said the girl with the attitude and slowly, everyone started agreeing. Betty wasn’t sure when Jughead had made it besides her, but he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, showing support.

“Well! Great!” She clapped her hands together once and nodded. “Good, then finish your homework! I have to get cooking! So much to do!”

“I’m done with homework, Ms. Cooper! Can I help?” Asked Lia and that was how they all found themselves cooking a meal together amongst jokes all the while Jughead leaned on the kitchen island watching, nobody letting him do much of anything and finding joy in just watching everyone smile…especially Betty, and doubly so when he was allowed to wash potatoes in the sink directly behind Betty, having gotten there and pinched her butt causing a yelp and a look that had made him feel a little giddy with it’s promise of retribution.

Dinner came and went, steak, creamy mashed potatoes and caramelized carrots. Extra chairs had to be pulled up to the table and the sounds and buzz of a family dinner was the cozy hug they all needed. They talked about school, what everyone was learning, or to Betty’s surprise, not learning. Everyone was happy to share, but she made a mental note of each and every resource they mentioned lacking in passing, from whole chapters missing from books to not having a science fair it was obvious that these kids and the ones at Riverdale Elementary were treated very differently and she hated it. At some point, after clearing the table and creating an impressive assembly line that consisted of one person washing, two people drying and several others putting everything away, they had moved back to the table and settled for jenga on one end and scrabble on the other.

The night ended in yawns, half-hearted tired giggles and Theo climbing on Betty’s lap, grabbing her shirt in a tiny fist and promptly falling asleep. When everyone headed up to their rooms and Betty carried Theo, she kissed his forehead, tucked him in tightly and headed down to her room, exhausted, happy and ready for a new day to begin.

“Hey,” He’s leaning against her doorframe, “That was a success.”

“Wouldn’t have been if Theo didn’t put them all in their place.” She smiled, hiding a yawn all her own.

“He’s special, that one.” Jughead smiled. “Come to bed?”

“I was, but you’re in the way.” She raised an eyebrow, too tired to really sound as snippy as she’d like in her teasing.

“Come to bed with me. To sleep.” He caressed down her arm and grabbed her hand lacing their fingers together.

“Okay.”


	7. A Place to Hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a scene causes them a loss Betty find out about bullying in Southside Elementary, guess who's called to bail her out?
> 
> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -This chapter is jumpy again, I don't know what it is about this story that it likes jumping around, let me know if you have any questions. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

The noise begins around two in the morning. It’s the sound of glass breaking against the side of the house and cursing, so much cursing. Assuming the worst, Betty wakes up and runs upstairs but the kids seem all to be mostly asleep, though disturbed by the sounds. Betty moves room by room, reassuring the kids and asking them to please stay in their rooms and in their beds. She jogs down the stairs where Jughead is waiting for her, the noise doesn’t stop, a motorcycle seemingly going around the house loudly. Betty swallows thickly, and follows Jughead downstairs.

“Stay inside.” He says seriously and only then does she notice the gun. From down there though, she can now understand what’s being said.

The woman is yelling, still straddling the bike which is running but parked close to the door as Jughead moved out slowly, hands in the air.

“It’s kidnapping! You’re taking my kid. MY KID. I made her, she’s mine. She’s meant to be at home! I need her to take care of me! I’m sick.” Betty scoffed, one thing was right this woman was sick, but not in the way she pretended to be. She couldn’t hear Jughead but she saw the woman reached behind herself and Betty threw the door open to head out right as a full bottle of beer hit the wall only inches away from her face and broke.

“You whore! You’re taking my kid! Give her back!” Betty approached, even as she saw Jughead shaking his head, his eyes clearly saying ‘head he fuck back inside’.

“Ma’am, the children are sleeping, tomorrow’s a school day. We can make sure she goes home after school, but it wouldn’t be wise to wake her up now.”

“I don’t give a fuck what you think is wise! She’s mine! I say she comes home NOW!”

“Ma’am…” Betty took a deep breath, “She’s alright, I promise you that.”

“Fuck you! Fuck your promise! Fuck you! This is kidnapping!” The woman raised her hand and Jughead moved between her and Betty with a warning glare that made the woman stop dead on her tracks. Whatever power Jughead held over her was unbeknownst to Betty, but she made a mental note to find out.

“Mom?” Came the small voice of the girl who’s name Betty hadn’t learned yet. She’d been all attitude through dinner and game night, but then, she seemed small and scared. “I’m coming, Mom.” She said resigned, shoulders hunched over, eyes sad. Betty ran towards her and hugged her.

“It’s okay, go back inside, go to sleep. We’ll take care of this.”

“ _This_ is my mom, Ms. Cooper. I have to take care of her when she’s like this or she gets…bad.”

Betty winced, “See you after school, though, right? I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Thank you Ms. Cooper.” The girl said and walked up to her mother, getting in the back of bike after being slapped once and hit twice on her arm. Betty wasn’t even sure they would make it home with the woman driving as drunk as she was.

“You fucking cunt. I’m your mother. Is my house not good enough for you? You fucking bitch.” The mother said time and time again and then drove off too fast.

Jughead hugged Betty from behind, and it wasn’t until he was holding her that she realized she was crying.

“She’s just a kid.” She managed and turned to hug Jughead.

“There’s nothing we can do.” He said and Betty said nothing, just heading in and noticing the kids in the living room, having clearly been looking out the window. Betty wiped her cheeks and with a deep breath started getting them upstairs.

“Let’s go, tomorrow’s a school day, you guys need your sleep. Come on…”

Jughead helped her, reassuring kids they could still stay and between the two of them they got all the kids back in bed before heading down to his room again, both feeling a little empty, like they had failed and seeking each other’s touch to feel better, wrapping their limbs around each other and unable to fall asleep even while cuddling closely.

 

The next few days went smoothly but were solemn and quiet and the kids talked amongst themselves about Shay, the girl with the giant attitude, showing to school with bruises that covered most of her body and wincing when she moved. Betty felt horrible that she couldn’t do anything about it, so it was with only the best intentions that she knocked on the office door while Jughead was writing. She had gotten really comfortable interrupting him with a cup of coffee for him, tea for her and then just sitting in the same room quietly while he wrote and she read or updated her website, the sound sipping, key strokes and turning pages filling the room. He looked up at her through glasses she now saw more and more of and smiled, though it was half hearted.

“Mind if I join you?” She asked, but she was already walking in and handing him his ridiculously large mug.

“I never do.” He said and turned back to the computer, which she took as a cue to sit quietly as she’d been doing, but then, “What’s wrong?” He asked and she bit her bottom lip, sighing and telling herself to just ask.

“Why don’t you ever call child protective services?” She was still hurt and sad and she hated feeling like she lacked control over a situation. Jughead studied her for a long time before taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes.

“I told you not to get attached, Betty, these kids come and go you can’t take it personally.”

“She didn’t want to go.”

“Yes, she did. We gave her the choice, told her to go back to bed and she still went with her drunk mother.”

“It’s her _mom_ , Jug. She shouldn’t protect her mom, she shouldn’t need protection from her either, but she does, so why can’t we just…we’d be helping her.” She said but Jughead scoffed and crossed his arms across his chest.

“You don’t know what you’re saying. Those people don’t care, they just take children from their parents and from each other, throw them into some hellhole where they don’t know anybody and where they’re used for a damned paycheck, and then what? Then they can’t leave their foster parents, they can’t come here anymore? It’s a sentence, Betty.”

“It can’t be that bad, foster parents care, that’s why they apply.”

“How the fuck would you know? You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth! I’m not doing that to them. I’m respecting their wishes, I’m respecting the southside.”

“Jughead,”

“No, Betty. Just no. I told you not to get attached, you did, I told you not to feed them, you did, I told you they weren’t allowed down here and you brought them anyway. You have broken every rule I’ve set for my house but not this one. No child protective services.”

Betty was shocked by the force in his tone, he wasn’t yelling but there was no room for an argument, no room for her to fight back she could see it in his eyes and she just gave a small nod. She couldn’t even find anger to feel at him, his argument simply felt personal.

“Were you in child protective services?” She asked quietly, almost hoping he couldn’t hear her, but he had, she knew because the silence around them, often light and airy or thick with lust felt heavy with sadness, suffocating, even.

“Yeah. They took my sister away from me. I was taking care of her. She was eating and going to school and she was doing fine, but I was a minor so they took her away.” He said, clearly angry, but then his tone softened and she looked up to see him fighting tears. “By the time I found her she was this…posh little princess, she barely remembered I existed. I did everything I could and I built this gigantic house, posh, got someone expensive to decorate it, made her the best room I possibly could…” He shrugged, “Have you seen her around? She stayed here exactly one night before getting on a plane and getting the fuck out of here to go to Columbia and I mean, I’m proud, but…no reply to birthday cards, no holiday dinners, nothing. They took away the only person I ever cared about, they took away my only family and they sealed my fate. I would have never joined-” He stopped speaking but he figured she’d find out sooner or later anyway, “I would have never joined the Serpents if I’d had her. But without her I had nothing to lose.”

Betty wanted to get up to hug him to hold him to tell him all would be okay but it didn’t feel that way, in fact, it felt painfully like she had overstepped and like this was something else she couldn’t fix. It wasn’t until he mentioned having nothing to lose that she snapped out of it, ignoring thoughts of her sister swimming in her mind and finally got up to kiss the top of his head and hug him. They didn’t say anything for a long time. Jughead cried and Betty made soothing sounds rubbing his back in slow circles, she clearly didn’t know the full story but she did know that she was loyal to him and his wishes and, at least for now, she wouldn’t be calling the government to take any kids out of their homes, she would just have to find another way to get around this.

 

That night he didn’t have to ask her to join him in bed.

*** * ***

It had completely escaped Betty that the Tupperware were going missing until she didn’t have enough. A fast run to the store fixed the problem, but she tried reiterating everyday to please bring the containers back, and she was getting a little exasperated with the fact that all agreed and still containers went missing. Several days into this dilemma she decided to make a list. Glad she was labeling them in the morning, it was fairly easy to keep track of who was bringing them back and who wasn’t, so one afternoon after school found her calling Theo to help her in the library. She sat in the biggest, comfiest arm chair and patted her lap, the little kid had no trouble at all climbing up and immediately holding onto her shirt in small fists, big eyes searching hers with curiosity.

“How’s school, Theo?” She asked, holding him closely with one arm and combing his hair back with her free hand.

“Good.” He said with a smile that made her lift an eyebrow in distrust.

“That’s nice. You know, I’ve been noticing that the containers I give you guys for lunch are not coming back and I’m sad because if I run out I can’t make you guys lunches anymore. Who do you think is forgetting them?” The little boy shifted on her lap and bit his lip giving her the cutest little shrug. “You know, I also noticed you’re very hungry after school. You eat most of the cookies all by yourself. It could be because you’re a growing boy.” She said and he nodded, blinking tears away. Every part of her wanted to tell him it was alright and take it back immediately, but something else, something bigger told her she had to find out what was happening. “But I think you’re not eating lunch. Are you giving it to someone else?” Theo shrugged and started letting go of her shirt.

“I’m sorry Ms. Cooper.” He said, but she tightened her hold, not wanting him to think she cared about him any less.

“What are you sorry for, Theo?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are you giving away your lunch?” He shook his head. “Then what’s happening to it?”

“The fifth graders take it. They say it’s stupid I get a note and then they eat it and they keep the container. I’m sorry mom-“ He gasped and promptly started crying. “Ms. Cooper! I meant Ms. Cooper. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to call you that, I meant…” And then the sobs were too loud for any words to come out. Betty held him and kissed his cheeks and whispered in his ear, rocking his small body back and forth.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, it’s alright. You should have told me, honey…I’m going to go to the school, okay? It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay.”

“You’re not upset with me?” He managed between hiccups.

“Of course not. Promise you’ll tell me if it happens again, okay? I need to know.” She kissed his forehead, and felt the thin thread that had been holding her sanity for the past week snap. The school had to know this was happening, this, and the child beatings and the lack of food and still they did nothing.

“Oh, I forgot, this is for you.” She said taking out a small book from behind her, and handing it over to him. “Why don’t you stay here a little while, read, I’ll bring you milk and brownies, okay?”

“Am I on time out?”

“Absolutely not! You have earned a little quiet time. Would you rather go out there?” She asked, not wanting to force him to stay in, but also knowing no kid wanted to been seen right after they’d cried.

“No. I’ll stay here a little while.” He wiped his nose with his sweater. “I’m sorry I called you mom Ms. Cooper.”

“If one day I have a kid half as amazing as you as a son, I’ll be the luckiest woman in the world.” She said and left to get the promised milk and brownies.

 

*** * ***

Jughead had no idea what had happened, he hadn’t been called by a school since that one time too many years ago that JB had managed to pull the fire alarm three times in one day to get out of a presentation about a family tree. Now, he was driving towards the school confused as fuck, having only been told “Please come pick her up or we’ll be pressing charges, Mr. Jones.” Jughead hadn’t even asked who he was picking up and now he was wondering if any of the kids were admitting to staying at his place where previously, it was known it happened but nobody talked about it. He could not have prepared for what he found. Passing the metal detectors, getting a sticker ID and walking into the office was as easy as it had been when he was a student, but walking into the principal’s office, a dark, brown mess with walls that had once been beige, a desk that was too big for the space and dark red arm chairs that had seen better days he had not expected to find a police man in the corner, hands clasped in front of him and looking down at a perfectly put together Betty, her hair in the tightest ponytail he’d ever seen and her chin held high.

“Oh, good, you’re here. Will you please tell these inept idiots that I am not a threat to this school or the children in it, but that I can be a threat to them if they don’t do their _fucking jobs!_ ”

Jughead, still in shock that she was talking in such a way at a policeman and had not been arrested or really, that she was there at all must have shown on his face because Betty motioned for him to sit next to her, clearly more in charge of the situation than the tired looking old man who wasn’t so much a school principal as he was a man counting the minutes to retirement.

“Betts…what the hell happened?”

“I came to the office to inquire about a bullying policy. Did you know they don’t have one? Anyway, I said they should implement one, this was met by very rude replies about how much work they do here but I mean…clearly, they do no work since we have to explain every concept from scratch when we tutor.” She said, still aware not to mention the kids practically living with them. “Anyhow, I also inquired about teachers, books, dress code, rule book, really, anything to prove to me that this is actually a school and not just a building kids come to everyday to watch Bill Nye on VHS! They have nothing. _Nothing_. And if I find out that anyone, fifth grader or not, takes my Tupperware from Theo or ANY kid I choose by the goodness of my heart to feed because this school doesn’t even though the government gives them a subsidy for that very reason, which means someone is pocketing the money, I will sure as hell make sure to launch an investigation.” She said it all in a huff, fire in her eyes, clearly upset, so Jughead found himself putting his hand on her knee and looking around at the two other men who had clearly already heard this particular line of threats. “They didn’t like this so they asked for me to find someone to escort me home since the cops seem to be too busy doing _nothing_.” She finalized and got up swinging her purse onto her shoulder and turning.

“Let’s go Juggie.”

“Ms. Cooper,” finally spoke the old man, “We appreciate your spark and care, we all cared once, too, but some things can’t be changed.” He said, pretending to be wise.

“So what? You stop trying? Think slavery, women’s suffrage, hell, think about your career, you’re clearly useless, but someone gave you a shot.” And with that she pulled a stunned Jughead along to the parking lot. “I need to let out some seriously pent up energy.” She said and he pulled her in for a fierce kiss holding both sides of her face and deepening it until it wasn’t appropriate for school grounds…and then a little more.

“You’re amazing, Ms. Cooper.”

“Mmm…not so bad yourself, Mr. Jones the Monster.”

“I’ve been wanting to tell them to go fuck themselves for ages but they would arrest me.” He shrugged, as if it didn’t bother him at all.

“Well…being born with a silver spoon in my mouth has it’s uses.”

“I’m sorry about that.” He said and kissed her again,

“It’s okay-wait, if I say it’s not okay you’ll keep kissing me? It’s not okay. Not okay at all, I’ll never forgive you.” She smiled and pressed her body against his, “Let’s go…I have a lot of energy to work through. Help me?” She winked and Jughead was pretty sure his brain melted.


	8. A Better Place to Eat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead and Betty's date doesn't go quite as planned and this causes doubts and tension, especially after Betty receives bad news when she has a talk with Theo. 
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> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**
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> NOTES:  
> -The dress Betty's wearing is this one: https://tinyurl.com/ycf4xayd  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -SMUT 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Jughead stared at his mostly empty closet wishing, for once in his life, that he knew how to indulge in shopping. He had no idea what men wore on _dates_ , especially dates to _fancy restaurants_ and every muscle in his body told him to put on the beanie to feel more comfortable but he knew that would be unacceptable, so he stared at his closet with an overwhelming feeling of unpreparedness. What would they talk about? What would he order? Burgers were probably not allowed in expensive restaurants. Was she expecting him to order them wine? He didn’t know anything about wine…it was a French restaurant, what if the menu was in French, he didn’t know _French_! Jughead as absolutely and positively freaking out while he stared at his three suits, one black, one grey and one blue that his literary agent had forced him to buy when he’d first began publishing.

Betty wasn’t doing much better. She certainly had enough clothes, so how was it that she had _nothing to wear_?! She thought about calling the date off, telling him she wasn’t feeling too well, but that wasn’t what she wanted, that much, she knew. She threw her three fanciest dresses on the bed and stared at them, finally settling on an expensive strapless, form fitting number that was white with a floral pattern on the sides and ruffles below the knee[*](https://tinyurl.com/ycf4xayd) and heels.

She was nearly ready when the knock came at her door and she couldn’t help the smile that graced her features, she was excited and happy and nervous as hell, but she was sure, and that was more than what she’d been for the past however long. She opened the door slowly and her eyes widened, there stood Jughead in a fitted blue suit, his hair as managed as was possible, hands in his pockets, seeming as nervous as she felt and she ogled until he cleared his throat and she napped her eyes up to his, finding a smirk in place of the nervous look he’d had only seconds prior.

“We _could_ stay in if you want.” He teased, making a show of looking her up and down, his lower lip between his teeth. “God, you look a dream.” He snaked one hand around her waist and to her back pulling her close and leaning down but Betty turned her head.

“Down boy,” She giggled and she was almost certain she felt his dick twitch at that, “You don’t look so bad yourself, you know.”

“Then let’s stay in and get naked.” He waggled his eyebrows, though he didn’t mean it and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Alright, how’s this? You promised me a date, so let’s go on a date, and if you get a B or above I’ll consider the whole naked bit.” She offered her finger hooking onto the belt loops of his pants and whispering “I’m rooting for you to do well.”

“Fuck me. Tonight’s gonna be hard.”

“I hope so, and again…I hope so.” She winked and pushed him back with her whole body until they were properly out of her bedroom. “Let me check everyone’s in bed before we head out, okay?” She pecked his lips and headed upstairs, peaking in every room and making sure everyone was asleep. She had told them all they would be out and had given the older kids her number as well as all the emergency contacts necessary, but she was happy to see them all tucked in and well into the world of dreams. She stood by the last door for a long time watching Theo sleeping soundly, too small to be alone, too little to learn the need to escape. She sighed and closed the door behind her as she headed down to meet her date hoping Lia and Liam's beds didn't stay empty for long.

“Ready to head out?” He asked, offering her a hand as she stepped down the last few steps, heels in hand to avoid making loud noises and also because simply put, walking down stairs in heels sucked.

“Ready, Romeo.” She smiled, slipped her shoes on, suddenly growing several inches and linking her arm with his heading out to the driveway where Jughead’s blue truck wasn’t waiting for them, but instead a shiny 50’s Cadillac awaited.

“Juggie?” Betty asked, her hands wanting to play with the engine even as brain caught up that this was, indeed, their ride. “Where did you get this? It’s gorgeous! Oh, my god…can I-“ Jughead chuckled and kissed her cheek.

“Maybe later? We’ll be late, we actually have a reservation.” He opened the door for her and she got in biting her bottom lip, hands on her lap but eyes moving around the car to take it all in.

“Where did you get it?”

“It was sitting in the garage. I don’t know anything about cars, but this is such a quintessential and important piece of film history, y’know? The 50’s Cadillac, the diners, the white picket fences, it was a different world back then and in film it’s almost like there was no bad, no evil.” He shrugged, “It was absolute indulgence and I never use it. It’s a shame, really, but nobody appreciates film in this town.” He said as he pulled out and started driving towards Greendale. It amazed her how two completely different people with very clearly different pasts and different paths could end up in the same exact place at the same exact time. Betty saw the car as a piece of art, the engine, the leather interior, the paint job, and it struck her that in a completely different way and for completely different reasons Jughead too, saw it as a piece of art. She looked at him driving and melted a little, this man was good so why did the whole town hate him?

“You might have to instruct me in the art of film, I’m more of a reader. So…where are you taking me?”

“No problem at all, we’ll start you with Tarantino.” He smiled at her and quickly looked back at the road. She noticed he didn’t abuse this car with his driving as he did the truck, and she was thankful for that being so much closer to the ground now. “I actually lied about the reservations and the date, I’m actually kidnapping you and I’m just a really bad kidnapper so I forgot to take away your phone.”

“Jughead!”

“What? You’ll know when we’re there, it’s like fifteen minutes away, you can handle the wait.”

“If you tell me now I’ll let you kidnap me into your room later,” She waggled her eyebrows. This wasn’t so much about her needing to know as it was about making jokes, Jughead seemed nervous and out of his comfort zone and she wasn’t sure if it was about the date, or heading out into a fancy restaurant.

“See, there’s an issue with that, if I can’t kidnap you into my room tonight, I can always visit you in your room, it just so happens I have it on good authority that you’re just down the hall from me.” He turned to wink and rolled his shoulders as they approached the restaurant. The whole area looked expensive, there were pretty lights decorating balconies and every store lining the street looked like they went above and beyond to make certain people feel like kings and queens and certain others…not so much. Betty frowned at the clear divide the glares families got passing the restaurants on their way to ice cream shops and how hosts moved towards outdoor tables children had passed near and moved a cup half an inch even if the kid hadn’t touched anything at all. She said nothing as they parked and smiled at Jughead who had gotten out and gone around the car to open the door and help her out.

“I’m sorry, Sir, but this space is for customers only.” Approached that same host and almost immediately Betty wanted to punch the fake accent out of him.

“We are customers.” Jughead said clearly feeling much more civil than she was.

“We are reservation only, I’m afraid.”

“I have a reservation.” Jughead replied,

“Can we please head in now or will you keep us in this parking spot for much longer?” Betty cut in, an eyebrow high and clearly unamused.

“Of course, Ma’am. My apologies.”

“Is it usual for you to meet customers by the car? I find it odd.” She added and Jughead placed a hand on her lower back, though Betty wasn’t sure if it was meant as encouragement or to calm her down. They didn’t look out of place at all, they were both dressed to the nines, but, Betty noticed, the vehicles around them were all brand new and she imagined that was the cue the host had taken to judge them, the gorgeous car. Jughead looked twice as uncomfortable now while the man found their reservation and lead them to their seats.

“I’m sorry. At least they didn’t erase my name from the book this time.” He smiled, but the statement didn't feel like a joke.

“What are you sorry for-wait, they’ve done this before?” She asked, appalled.

“Not here, I haven’t been to this restaurant yet, but others in the area. I’m used to it, it’s not a big deal.” Betty looked around at all the patrons, sitting too straight, smiling politely but not happily and she looked at the menu in front of them all written in french. Betty knew how to behave in these places, around these people, Alice had trained her perfectly after all, but Jughead didn’t seem comfortable and the air was thick with judgment from the wait staff which was certainly a new experience for Betty.

“Hey, Jug?” She asked and he looked up from the wine list, clearly overwhelmed and out of his comfort zone. “Wanna get out of here?”

“You don’t like it?” Betty almost smiled at how terrified he looked at this prospect. “This is the fanciest it gets in this area.”

“Why don’t you take me to that diner you’re always judging me for not having gone to yet?”

“Pop’s? It’s not…I mean, it’s great but it’s not what a girl like you would like as a first date.” He blushed.

“Oh, Juggie, you have so much left to learn about me.” She winked right as the waiter approached with a smug look in his eye as if expecting Jughead not to know what wine to order.

“May start you with something to drink?” He asked in yet another fake accent.

“I’m sorry,” Betty spoke up, “But I was just speaking with my date and I think we’ll be leaving. I can’t _fathom_ how you consider yourself high class French cuisine when you don’t have escargot. Additionally, I’m sure your chef would love to know that my water glass has fingerprints on it, and since you’ve been staring at us you know I haven’t touched it. This fork isn’t shiny like this other fork, which indicates it wasn’t cleaned properly and the table cloth has a stain. Only god knows the horrors your kitchen must be like. Good night.” And with that, she got up and waited for Jughead to do the same, walking out of there with her head held high and stopping by the host. “I will be nice enough to delay the review the magazine has tasked me with. Next time I stop by I assume service will be better.” And with that they were out of the restaurant and back in the car. Betty winked at a grinning Jughead. “Let’s go get some burgers, I’m starving!” She grinned back.

“Was it really that bad?”

“Nope. The glass had a finger print but who cares? There was no stain, the forks were fine, but rich people complain about the quality of air if they can’t find something else to complain about. I also don’t work for a magazine and will never write a review but they don’t know that.” She said and he laughed happily. “Juggie, I don’t know what type of date you think ‘a girl like me’ wants, but maybe I’m not ’a girl like me’ maybe I’m just ‘me’. I don’t want fancy, maybe one day I will? But this is what I expect: laughter, good conversation, maybe a spoiler for your next book, dinner that doesn’t look like an appetizer in a huge plate, maybe cuddling to a movie later. I’m not this princess you think I am.” She looked at her lap.

“Elisabeth…” She turned to him, that name always freaked her out, made her assume she’d done something wrong. “I’ve seen pictures of you and your family. Once I looked it up it wasn’t hard to see who the Coopers are, I mean you own one of the most powerful newspapers in the country. You have actually had meals with _royalty_.”

“Yeah…they were boring and lacking in personality.” She replied quickly and he laughed.

“You know, you haven’t stopped surprising me since we’ve met. I think I like you, Betty Cooper.” His smile was so big that she felt proud for having put it there.

“That’s a good place to be before our first date, I think.” She smiled right back as they pulled into a place Betty hadn’t paid much attention to even as she drove past it time and time again when she worked at Riverdale Elementary. The 50’s car suddenly felt like a prop, perfect in front of the diner and Betty’s eyes lit up suddenly feeling like they were in a movie.

“Jughead! It’s been so long, my boy! Who’s this pretty lady?” Pop’s asked as soon as they walked in and Betty blushed.

“This is Betty Cooper, and yes, actually, we just come from a failed first date.” He said grinning stupidly.

“Whatever he did, Betty dear, blame it on me and give this boy a chance. He’s a good one.” He said and Betty couldn’t help but nod,

“I know he is.” She laced her fingers with Jug and squeezed his hand. “Bar or booth?” She asked him.

“Oh, Betty, Betty, Betty,” Jughead shook his head, “So new, so naïve. I, Jughead Jones, have my very own booth at Pop’s. Follow me!” He was happy and giddy which Betty found contagious from him. When he slid into one of the last booths by the window Betty hesitated just for a moment before deciding to sit across from him, this was a date after all.

Betty looked up from the plastic menu to find Jughead biting his bottom lip a crease between his eyebrows, looking at her. He had seemed to confident only moments prior and here he was, a ball of nerves again.

“What’s wrong?”

“Okay, don’t get mad at me but,” That already made Betty lift a manicured eyebrow, ready to be angry, “this doesn’t have to be our first date, if you want I can plan something else for next week or something.” Betty wanted to be mad, she did, but she couldn’t. He was doing his best and for whatever reason he had decided she was something akin too good for a diner, which was ridiculous, so she didn’t dignify him with an answer and went back to the menu.

“I know what I want!” She announced and when a cute girl stopped to take their order she made it a point to make it as obvious as she could that she wanted this to be a date. “I would like the burger combo, please with French fries. I would also like a milkshake, whatever flavor Jug here usually gets…two straws, please. And an extra cherry.” She smiled sweetly and tilted her head at him, challenging him to order something stupid like a salad.

“Oh, thank god, I thought I’d have to get a salad!” He said and given her train of thought Betty burst out in laughter while he ordered his usual that oddly matched Betty’s, minus the shake because they were clearly sharing. “We’re really overdressed.” He said, looking around at the crowd, a few families, some high school students and them, dressed to the nines.

“No such thing!” She announced. “When I was little I insisted to wear gown everywhere. My mother wouldn’t have it but she was proud. Later in life, when she didn’t like what I was wearing she would lament out loud say ‘Oh, Elisabeth, where did my little princess go, you dress like those _men_ those _mechanics_.’” She mocked her mother’s tone and lack of appreciation for anyone who wasn’t in the business of meeting the rich, famous and most importantly: the influential.

“Sounds like…fun?”

“Tons.” She rolled her eyes, obviously being sarcastic.

Dinner went without a hitch after that. They got drunk off of each other and talked about authors and literature, the town, film and music, they shared their guilty pleasures and while Jughead took her pickle, Betty took his cherry and they both dipped their fries in the shake, surprised the other liked the combination too. It was really a fun, happy night. By the time they left Pop’s they were both completely drunk on each other and ready to do good on promises of sneaking into bedrooms naked.

*** * ***

Betty was happy. Very, very happy and even after a night of not sleeping at all, she had moved around the kitchen with ease prepping the breakfasts and lunches and sending the kids off to school but after the adrenaline of the morning rush she had crashed onto the couch with her legs over the arm rest and her arm over her eyes thinking she had to go to the market and began drifting off when she felt a kiss to her ankle and then another a little higher, and another.

“Don’t open your eyes, Baby.” He said in that deep morning tone she refused to admit she found arousing. She barely let out a whimper as his lips made it higher and higher up her inner thigh and right when he was nearly where she wanted him…nothing. And another kiss came on her other ankle. It wasn’t surprising anymore that he liked teasing her but it was never any less erotic or annoying. She was biting her bottom lip and moving her hips up against air searching for something, _anything_ and then she found it in the form of his tongue moving from her opening to her clit in one thick stripe.

“I like this sleeping gown. You should wear it more.” He spoke against her, the air making her shiver in anticipation. She was wearing a soft nightgown that almost looked like a little dress, it was cotton, nothing sexy, but comfortable and cute and as most dresses with easy access. “Much better than those shorts you always wear.” He said and licked her again, though this time in a quick, lap of the very point of his tongue making her gasp and move her hips up again following the movement of his mouth. He took this a sign not to stop, so he didn’t, licking and sucking, making her move against him and humming to make her whole body vibrate. Betty was doing as he had asked, not uncovering her eyes at all but mostly because her body wasn’t responding to anything other than Jughead. He snuck a hand up her nightgown and pinched her nipple and even though she wanted to ride out this pleasure for as long as she could, this early in the morning that was more than enough and she came with a force she didn’t know her body had. Jughead didn’t stop moving until Betty flinched, at which point he kissed her inner thigh and moved up her body, moving her arm away from her eyes.

“Morning.” He said and kissed her soundly, “Have I told you that I love that you don’t wear underwear at night?” He smirked and kissed her again while she tried to catch up with what he saying and lowering her heart rate. “And that you taste wonderful this morning.” He bit her bottom lip and she finally reacted with a moan.

“Morning.” She managed, tangling her hands in his hair and pulling him down for another long, languid kiss and moving her hand down his chest and torso towards his pants “Want me to-“

“Nope.” He popped the ‘p’ grabbing her hand and putting it over her head. “This was not about me. It was all about you.” He kissed her cheek and her neck, bit the juncture between her neck and shoulder and Jumped off the couch and away from her with much more energy than she’d ever seen him have in the morning.

“What’s with the lack of grogginess?” She asked with a yawn.

“Well, I had this amazing night with this gorgeous, leggy blonde, I’d tell you the things she did to me, but Children frequent this place.” He winked. “Believe it or not she let me take her to dinner.”

“Oh?” She smiled, “Did you have a good time?”

“The best. The most amazing, incredible, fantastic time. I could even listen to One Direction today.” He mocked and she laughed.

“I’m sure she had a lovely time, too. Hey Jug, are you going to work today?”

“Yes, ma’am, as soon as I have coffee and get dressed. Why? Do you need me here? Got an itch for me to scratch?” he put his coffee down to put a hand behind her back and pull her close to which Betty replied with a giggle that made her blush. She felt like a teenager around him, like she couldn’t manage her feelings and they ran rampant without her consent, and she loved every second of it.

“Noooo! Although…wait! No! I’m focusing!” She laughed and took a sip from his coffee. “I have to go to the market, and since you’re heading that way, I thought you could take me to the shop and then I’ll take the truck to go shopping, come here, drop it all off and then I should be back at the shop by one or so to leave you the truck. I can walk from the shop to my house and get some stuff done, too.”

“You are a planning machine. This morning I wasn’t even sure if I was going to put pants on.” He joked and she pecked his cheek.

“Is that a yes? Because I mean…The truck has more room and I have a lot of food to buy, you have no idea how quickly we go through everything, I was thinking of starting to buy milk in bulk.” She said seriously.

“You’re insane. I like that about you.”

“You like that I’m insane. I like that about you.”

* * *

By the time all the kids were heading up to bed Betty pulled Theo aside with a cup of hot cocoa and cookies just for him. He climbed on the chair with big, curious, scared eyes and bit his bottom lip.

“Try these cookies, I used a special recipe just for you.” She said happily and tilted her head.

“Am I in trouble. My mom’s always nice at me before I’m in a lot of trouble.” He said and Betty had to take a deep breath to calm down and not curse out a person who wasn’t in the room.

“No, sweetie, you’re not in trouble, I just wanted to ask you about lunch. Are those fifth graders being mean to you still?”

“No…” He bit his bottom lip and she lifted her eyebrow, daring him to lie. “Okay, They told me not to tell you but Shay and other older kids told the fifth graders they couldn’t mess with me anymore. They almost got in a fight. Butpleasedon’tyellatthem! ”

“Hmm…I wont yell at them, but I’ll have a talk, it’s never good to fight…but I’m glad they’re not bothering you anymore.” She smiled and pushed the cookie again, “Don’t you want any?” He seemed to remember then that the cookies were for him and took one happily, dunking it in the hot cocoa and making it drip down the sides he gasped, but before he could freak out Betty grabbed a napkin and cleaned up.

“It’s okay.” She kissed his forehead. “Can I ask you something else?” This she knew she had to tread carefully, but the previous night Lia and Liam hadn’t stayed, and they still weren’t around. Jughead had warned Betty not to get too attached, but something about this just felt _wrong_.

“Ummmmmm, only if I can ask something too.” He said and Betty nodded.

“Deal. You first?” She asked but Theo shook his head, too busy dunking and eating happily, his little legs kicking the air. “Alright, did you see Lia or Liam today?” Theo frowned and her heart dropped. He shook his head and sighed.

“Their mom went to the school yesterday to pick them up. They’ll be back, they always come back but,” The little boy shrugged and seemed so lost and afraid. “Their mom is really bad. Everyone knows their mom.” Betty made soothing circles on his back but she was scared too, especially now knowing that.

“Okay, it’s going to be okay. I’ll make sure of it. They’ll be alright.” She smiled at Theo even though her blood was running cold. “What did you want to ask me?”

“Do you like Mr. Jones?” He was sipping on the cocoa and his big eyes looked calculating, she was ready to burst out laughing, but decided instead to take the matter as seriously as he was.

“I do like him. He’s a very good man and a very good friend.”

“Ms. Cooooopeeeeeer!” Theo whined, “I meant like a…like a boyyyyyfrieeeeend.” He said and it took all of Betty’s training not to laugh.

“Well, I don’t know if he likes me like a girlfriend.” She said, “Why do you ask.”

“I don’t want you to marry him. And Liam said that he kissed you and I don’t like that.”

“You don’t? Why?” She thought it was cute that he was jealous, she knew enough about kids to know this wasn’t really shocking or odd, but she still found it very amusing, that was until he answered.

“Because, Ms. Cooper. If he kisses you, and then he’s your boyfriend, and then he has to marry you and then you’ll have babies and then you wont want me anymore.”

Betty sighed and patted her lap, “Come here,” He did as he was told and his little fists grabbed her shirt as they so often did while she combed his hair with her fingers.

“Theo, I don’t know if Mr. Jones wants to be my boyfriend, but if he did, I would like that very much because he’s a good man. He cares about you and that means a lot to me. Now, it takes a very long time for people to decide to get married and have babies, but even if I ever have babies, I’ll still want you, okay. You will always, always, always be welcome in my arms. Always.” She kissed his forehead, “besides, if I ever have babies, they’ll need someone wonderful to teach them everything…someone…like you.” She touched his nose and kissed his forehead right as he wrapped his arms around her with all the strength he had.

“Promise, Ms. Cooper? You’ll always love me?” Betty had promised herself a long time ago not to throw that word around like it didn’t matter, and so, it felt right for once to say exactly what she wanted:

“I promise to always love you, Theo.” And with that she accompanied him up to his room, which felt empty without Lia and Liam and tucked him in before heading downstairs to wait for Jughead who hadn’t gotten home from the shop yet. She had both of their plates made and waiting to be reheated, she wanted to have a nice meal, ask about his day, and instead he moved into the house quietly, lost in his own world and apparently angry.

“Hey,” She said slowly, closing her book and walking towards him. She reached for his hand but he pulled away from her making her heart sink. “Penny for your thoughts?” She swallowed hard, unsure why she felt so dejected merely by his not wanting to hold her hand.

“I got a visit today at the shop, a Mr. May, ring a bell?” He walked past her and Betty furrowed her eyebrows.

“No-OH! Mrs. May husband? What did he want?” She followed him into the kitchen and starting heating up their food, trying to catch his eyes but unable to as he avoided her that was until the didn’t.

“He asked me to leave you alone.” He said, his arms crossed over his chest and glaring, lips pursed, jaw set.

“What? I’ve never even met him.” She was looking at him like he was crazy, this couldn’t be right.

“He said you saw his wife at the market and left her very upset, which apparently makes his life more of a living hell.”

“Well…how the hell is that your problem?”

“All of this seems to be my fault, since I'm a terrible influence. Why didn’t you tell me, Betty?”

“Tell you what?” She asked, confused and miffed, setting the plates at the table but not sitting next to him as she usually did, he seemed angry and she didn’t know why.

“That you were told to stay away from me! Why didn’t you tell me that they’re starting to bother you? That they’re starting to talk about you like they talk about me!”

This made Betty cross her own arms over her chest and glare, “Are you serious, Jughead? First of all, I don’t know if they’re talking and for the record I don’t care if they are! All she did was ask why we were spotted _together_ at such a fancy place and then she made a rude comment about you so I told her to go fuck herself. That was that. Nothing else.”

“What if I care?”

“About what one woman who clearly doesn’t get laid enough thinks? No. I’m sorry but everyone judged me in New York, I just don’t give a fuck anymore.”

“You’ll care eventually!” He yelled, and then, in a lower tone but just as upset, “Come on, Betty, a city girl like you? With a thug like me?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re an AUTHOR! And what if you /were/ a thug? I get to kiss and fuck whoever the fuck I want. I get to fall in love with whomever the fuck I want.”

“Fall in-Betty, that’s not ever going to happen. You may think that but your house will be done and you’ll be tired of cooking for a bunch of kids that aren’t yours and you’ll leave! Everyone fucking leaves!”

“You’re an idiot, Jughead!”

“Exactly! You’ll get sick of me soon enough and that only leaves me alone taking care of kids that will fucking miss you!”

Betty rubbed her temples and took several deep breaths, eyes closed before calmly speaking up. “That wont happen-“ She held her hand up to stop him from interrupting to tell her it would and continued, “but even if it does, it’ll happen when it happens, don’t push me away now just because some frigid bitch’s husband talked to you.” This time, when she reached for his hands he didn’t pull away, “Please, Juggie.”

He looked at the food, still upset, but not wanting to push her away because she was right, when it happened at least he would have had some time with an otherwise unobtainable, wonderful person that he was maybe starting to develop feelings for more than ‘like’. “Okay. I’m sorry, I…Look, this is going to sound stupid, but I was scared that maybe they got to you, that I would walk in here and you’d be gone.”

“It’s not stupid, but I’m here and I made food, really good food, by the way. And I’m kind of angry with you right now, but that still doesn’t mean I’m leaving. So, let’s eat and let’s go to bed.”

“Are you coming with me?” He asked looking up from the food, afraid that this little stunt of his was causing him the night of sleep, he always did sleep better with her next to him.

“Yes, with you.” She answered as if was obvious, “Now eat. You get twice as cranky when you’re hungry.” Betty smiled, but she was scared about him leaving her, too. Scared that the pressure of catering to the girl he’d wanted to give a fancy date to, the girl he kept referring to when he said things like ‘a girl like you’ would become too much for him, even if that girl didn’t exist.


	9. Anywhere is Better than There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty takes matters into her own hands and it causes another fight, but this time, she can't take it and Jughead has no remedy but to open up about his past.  
>  **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -Sorry for taking so long to update!!!!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Betty’s hands shook as she lifted one to knock of the trailer door. It had been four days since she’d seen Lia and Liam and though Jughead had asked her to stay out of it, she just couldn’t, not after Theo having come looking for her one night scared of the monsters under his bed, which Lia had always fought. Betty had stayed in the room with him all night and he’d woken up three more times, checking that she was still there. Now, she stood here and listened for movement inside, it was ten thirty in the morning and she was about to leave, assuming there was nobody home when she heard bottles being kicked around and a few curse words. When the door was thrown open Betty took a step back, the woman on the other side looking like she had just woken up.

“What?” She barked and looked her up and down.

“Umm…Ms….Bertha?” Betty wrung her hands together in front of herself as the woman leaned against the doorframe and reached over to something Betty couldn’t see, bringing a cigarette and a lighter to her lips.

“What do you want, Blondie?” The woman asked, not paying Betty much mind which made Betty feel like a twig ready to be snapped by this woman’s stomp, but then she remembered the children.

“I just wanted to know how Lia and Liam are, I help them with homework sometimes and I haven’t seen them around recently.”

“Do they pay you?”

“No! Of course not.”

“Then why do you give a fuck? Did you call ‘em? Hmm? Did you call those _feds_ those people who took my children away? MY children? I know that bitch from across the way had to go search for her daughter the other night.” Now she was standing taller, ready for a fight and Betty really wanted to take another step back for self-preservation but she didn’t.

“I’m just worried about them is all. I didn’t call anyone, otherwise I would have known they’d been taken away.” She tried to explain herself.

“You little cunt. They’re MY kids! MINE, I know what’s best for them, not you. You’re a tramp, y’know that? No better than those whores who look for our men for a quick fuck and a fast ride before you go back to nice house, to your husband, to your fucking kids, that’s what you are, you whore!” The woman yelled, uncaring about making a scene, the cigarette somehow staying between her lips as she yelled and moved her arms around. Betty thought the woman looked like an overweight, drowning bird, but she knew not to say anything like that, instead, she frowned politely and nodded.

“I just wanted to check on them. I just want what’s best for them.”

“I AM BEST FOR THEM, YOU BITCH! I AM THEIR MOTHER!” She wailed and pushed her before closing the door on her face. Betty was angry, of course, but more than that, she was scared for Lia and Liam. She wasn’t sure what to do, but she did know how to find out. Betty headed back home, grabbed her laptop and researched all the entities she needed to call, keeping a color coded list with best times and names to keep in mind, being her mother’s daughter had, at least, taught her how to find out just about anything.

She was picking up the phone to call a social worker when she heard a car door slamming outside and then the front door opening and slamming closed as well.

“BETTY!” He yelled, letting go of his anger loudly knowing they were alone. He’d seen her car, he knew she was here. “Elisabeth where the fuck are you?” He yelled and started taking the steps two at a time as she stood from her bed to go check what was wrong.

“Jug? What-“

“You fucking promised! You promised Betty. What the fuck were you thinking getting the state involved? They’ve been separated, you know that? YOU DID THAT!” He yelled, his hands moving from pointing at her to raising in the air with frustration making her flinch and take a step back, but the last few days had been stressful enough and Betty was tired of it. Something snapped inside of her then and fire lit her eyes as she stepped forward, their bodies close when Jughead held his ground and she yelled, the back of her mind throwing pictures of her mother to the forefront of her thoughts.

“I didn’t call anybody! I was worried, Theo told me they hadn’t been in school in days and I went in search of their mother. She’s a drunk and a disgusting pig and she doesn’t deserve them, but I didn’t call Child Protective Services because you fucking asked me not to.” She was yelling at the top of her lungs, her pointer finger poking his chest, “I’m tired of having doors closed on my face, I’m tired of getting yelled at, I’m tired of being blamed for something I didn’t fucking do! But you know what? I wish I had, I wish I hadn’t listened to you because every second they spend away from that woman they become better people.” With that, she stepped back into her room slamming the door onto his face and stomping her foot in a small tantrum as a way to get the vile energy out of her. “FUCK!” She yelled, “FUCK, FUCK , FUCK, FUCK!” She hit the bed and kicked the dresser, feeling out of control.

On the other side of the door, Jughead stood shocked and motionless, Betty had never been anything other than calm and collected, even when they fought she had always made sure to keep the conversation civil, but he hadn’t believed her and that seemed to be too much for Betty. He heard her yelling inside the room, heard the kicks and the breakdown and by the time his anger had ebbed enough for him to walk in, she was sitting by the window, staring at the green backyard, tears making trails down her face, a small orange prescription bottle by her feet.

He had planned to walk in, take her into his arms, apologize, and instead found himself reaching for it and reading the label, he knew, he knew she lived with anxiety, but he didn’t know it was _this_ bad, medication bad. He threw it on the bed and picked her up with his hands under her armpits.

“Let’s go take a nap, baby.” He said and she just nodded lightly, tears falling freely down her cheeks but not speaking anymore. The best thing about this tiny little pink pill was the numbness that took over only minutes after taking it. One always did the trick, just one and suddenly life wasn’t so overwhelming, everything became a fuzzy, unimportant detail to be dealt with later, it had another effect as well though, it made her honest.

“You need to stop.” She said as he helped her onto the bed, kicking off his shoes and taking off his shirt. Jughead stopped dead, unsure if she didn’t want him to stay in the room, a sentiment he didn’t take kindly to, especially with all the adrenaline and anger from only a few moments earlier moving through his body.

“Do you want me to leave, Betts?” He stood straight, rigid and her eyes lazily moved up his body to his, shaking her head.

“No. Stay with me.” Everything was just fuzzy enough not to matter.

“Okay. What do I need to stop?” He asked careful not to overstep kicking off his rough jeans and getting in the bed with her, but not touching her yet.

“Judging me. You need to stop. I don’t judge you. I don’t think all those bad things you think I think about you. I’m not a girl who had meals with royalty and I’m not some…some person who breaks their word.”

“I’m sorry.” His teeth were greeted, but his anger now turned at himself, she was right about his making assumptions, but how was he not supposed to? Just looking at her he knew she was too good for someone like him. “If you knew more, you’d understand.”

“It’s your fault that I don’t. You don’t tell me anything and I respect your need for privacy but I can’t take it anymore. I left New York because of the expectations and you’re…I can’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me. No matter how great the sex is.”

Jughead heard and understood her but in the moment, with her seeming so dazed and out of it, Jughead decided to try to make her smile. “The sex is great, huh?” He said, finally laying down completely and pulling her until her head was on his chest. It seemed it wasn’t the right thing to say, though, because she frowned.

“I don’t know. It is for me, but I don’t know if-“

“Baby, the sex is amazing. It’s…mind-blowing.” He tried to make her feel better, unsure where all this dread from a usually so happy and bubbly person was coming from. He’d told her not to get involved, not to get attached, and now he was terrified that each time someone left to never come back she would have a break down.

Jughead chewed on the inside of his cheek while he thought and she slept.

That afternoon Jughead took care of the children, telling them that she wasn’t feeling well and having them help him with a simple recipe of chicken noodle soup that was basically canned soup and water. They had all finished their homework assignments and made a get well soon card which Jughead had taken up to her room only to find her still asleep.

It was late when, after about an hour of being awake but refusing to get up she finally did. She looked around, feeling wrong in this room and with a furrowed brow walked to Jughead’s bedroom. She stood by the door, ready to knock but unsure what she wanted to say or do. Instead she went downstairs and curled up on the couch. She felt out of sorts, like maybe this wasn’t the place she needed to be. She could pretend all she wanted, but until Jughead decided to trust her and see her for who she was, she wasn’t really dating him, he was dating some other girl that didn’t exist. She shivered at the words that haunted her ‘you’re not good enough’. It was then that she decided that it didn’t matter, not at all, what did matter was that she was willing and able to help the kids. She turned when she herds the stairs creek, he looked like he’d been asleep, his hair all over the place, his t-shirt wrinkled, his pajama pants low on his hips and his fist rubbing his eye.

“Hey,” He cracked.

“I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“You didn’t. Can I sit?” He asked and she just nodded, making herself even smaller, her chin resting on her knees. “You’re right about it being my fault.” He said as soon as he sat down besides her, eyes heavy with sleep and something else that looked remarkably like fear.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to pry, it’s your life, Jughead.”

“Yeah, it is.” He agreed, “That’s why you need to know about it.” She didn’t say anything to that, she didn’t know if this was the right thing to do, getting involved with someone who chose not to see her for who she was, still, she nodded, maybe he just needed to share this story.

* * *

“I grew up in a trailer on Southside. My parents argued, but it was all I knew so I didn’t know any better but to assume it was normal, and when I went to school, all my friends had similar stories, so I guess…it was normal.” He furrowed his eyebrows, unsure how to continue, or even where to begin. “As I got older I started understanding more, my dad was-is, I guess, in this gang, the Southside Serpents, eventually he even became their leader and he started getting me ready, teaching me how to shoot a gun, how to fight, and the I learned most from having to fight him when he came home drunk, ready to beat us, yell at us, only god knows what else he did to my mom.” He said, implying the worst possible things. “When JB was born things changed for the worse. Everything was difficult for us, and I didn’t understand why it seemed that on one side of town everyone lived perfectly lovely lives and we couldn’t go a meal without fighting…sometimes, there wasn’t even a meal to be had.”

Betty listened as much as she could not wanting to interrupt and trying to push down the feeling of anger bubbling inside of her, building as he mentioned the normalcy or lack thereof he supposedly lived with. In a show for support Betty reached for his hands and held them, her knees still against her chest.

“Anyway, I was about eleven when I started going to the meetings and one day, my dad was at the Wyrm, the…Serpent bar, and I woke up too early, I guess. My mother was throwing things in bags and when I asked she told me to go to sleep. I didn’t know why yet, but something told me not to listen and I didn’t, I watched as she threw it all in a car and left. My dad didn’t notice until a week and a half later, in the meantime I took care of Jelly, and I loved her so much. I did whatever I could for extra cash to get her little toys at the dollar store and she always a meal, _always_ even if it was milk and toast, she _always_ ate, I made sure of it.”

Betty willed herself not to cry, but she understood, he had taken care of his sister and reading between the lines she knew that even if Jelly ate, maybe he didn’t.

“Anyone, someone must have noticed or…I’m not sure how it happened, maybe the school , I don’t know, but one day I left to see if I could help someone with chores or something, my dad was at home so I thought everything would be okay, and when I came back he was asleep and drunk and Jelly was gone. I…I yelled and screamed and searched and then they came by and took me too, to a house on the other side of town but I didn’t belong there and I was bullied at school and I never stopped looking for Jelly. By the time I found her these really nice people in a really nice house, with a really bright future, had adopted her. I couldn’t take that away from her by showing up. Sometimes I-“ He shook his head and cleared his throat and Betty squeezed his hands, “Sometimes I’d sit across the street and just watch them have family dinners. She looked happy and she grew so much and I…I missed her, so I joined the Serpents as a way to escape a reality in which I was alone. I was sure I’d be killed soon, and that’s what I wanted. I was reckless, I hurt a lot of people, I pissed off even more than that, somehow I wasn’t killed, I made a name for myself, I made sure to be just like my dad because that was what was expected from me.”

Betty listened with rapt attention, wanting to kill his parents, wanting to shake his sister until she stopped thinking she was too good for him, wanting to really change everyone in his life to better people, wanting to understand why he hadn’t been taken along with his sister. He hadn’t had a chance at all, and yet somehow he had become an amazing person, sweet, caring, with a career to be proud of, and she was very proud of him.

“I climbed the ladder of the Serpents quickly, following my dad’s footsteps and one day I just…left. I had everyone after me, ready to kill me, nobody leaves the Serpents high and dry, but I didn’t run like they thought I would, I just sat at the Drive in, in a car and when they showed me the guns and threatened me I shrugged.” He smiled, remembering the lowest point in his life. “I think that’s when they noticed that I wasn’t being reckless, I really needed help. Mind you, they’re not really a group of people who get help, they’re drunks and drug addicts and violent as hell, but something clicked, maybe it was my age, I must have been sixteen when it happened. They all left, and I didn’t care, I didn’t care if they would kill me, as long as they didn’t find Jelly, I didn’t care about anything. They came back two days later, forced a burger down my throat and made me a deal. They would set me up to learn carpentry from this old man who was ready to die and had no children, he helped the Southside make their trailers better with cabinets and things. So…I figured there was nothing to lose. Turns out I’m pretty good with my hands, but also engineering. I have made stairs that become bookcases from which tables come down to save space and I’ve made hidden kitchens, and triple beds, and all sorts of things. So they let me out of the serpents, kind of. But now I was stuck knowing I wasn’t going to die and that meant I needed money to live, so on a whim I send out my manuscript to some guy in New York and I got published and that’s where I am now. First thing I did with a paycheck was buy this land, build this house.” He stopped and looked at her, she’d been quiet for much longer than she usually was and that made him fear the worse.

“So…you were a gang member.” She said and he sighed.

“Yes I was.”

“And you grew up with a poor excuse for parents.”

“I guess. I think they did what they knew, it’s a cycle.”

“That’s no excuse to treat a child that way. You were an adult before you were a teenager, Jughead I-“ She pressed her lips together, trying to imagine a sad young boy ready to die to get a shit life over with. Jughead always seemed strong and in control. Somehow she knew there was more to the story, but he had told her what he could, he had told her what he thought she needed to know, and Betty wasn’t going to push her luck. Instead she leaned forward, kneeling and grabbing his cheeks with both hands and kissed him.

“Betty,” He sighed and looked at his hands, “I hurt a lot of people.” He said, not meaning to tell all the truth but unable to hold it back any longer. “My dad got arrested at some point and I became the leader of the Serpents, too. I have really hurt people, people are scared of me. Do you understand? I’m not a good person.”

“Jughead Jones,” She said, eyes soft, “You’re an amazing person. You managed to become an amazing person against all odds and maybe you were dealt a horrible hand, and maybe you followed it for a while, but you don’t anymore and that speaks volumes of you and your willpower and your strength. I’m still here, Jug. Thank you…for telling me this.”

They couldn’t sleep after that, so Betty just made coffee and they sat there, holding each other until it was time to make the kids breakfast. It seemed they were in a cycle they couldn’t break, they would be fine, then they’d fight, then they’d open up and then they were fine again. It probably wasn’t healthy, but at least they were talking, at least they were trying to hold on


	10. A New Place to Call Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sexy Betty has a kink or two she wants to explore and Jughead helps, but she also has a meeting that could change her life for good and when Jughead finds out about it, his feelings begin to change about a lot of things. What will happen when her house is done and she moves out?
> 
>  
> 
> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**
> 
>  
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -SMUT on this chapter
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Jughead Jones received a call while he was in the shop. He was focused and happily carving what would become the most decorative piece he’d ever made, a gorgeous four-poster bed with the most intricate of headboards…for Betty. She hadn’t asked, of course, but she had said maybe he could make a piece for her bedroom, a few carved flowers or an armoire and since it hadn’t been talked about since, he had decided to take creative freedom and make her the most beautiful bed he could. The fact that she was almost constantly on his mind only helped him carve more beautifully, but that was probably the reason that when the shrill sound of his phone echoed in the large room his hands slipped and he cursed under his breath, picking up without looking at the caller ID.

“Jones, our part’s done. Floor’s in place, we need the cabinets so we can get the granite put in and then she can paint and get it done.” The voice on the other end spoke without him having said a word.

“Fine. Have you talked to her?” He asked, tone short and cold.

“Nah, not yet, didn’t wanna put you under fire if you need more time.”

“I’ll have the cabinets there in three days. Hey! Don’t…don’t tell her. I’ll let her know.”

“Sure, Jones, whatever you say.”

Jughead hung up and threw the phone across the table, noticing the time and hiding his carvings.

Betty had made it part of her daily routine to stop by the shop, have lunch with Jughead, if only to prove that she was there and wasn’t leaving him and then continued on her way to the store. With the amount these kids ate, it was actually easier to go to the store three times a week to stock up than go once a week and make a major purchase, so she’d gotten organized, planning meals and getting only what she needed…and a little more.

“PAD THAI!” Betty exclaimed happily as she walked through the door, holding the bag up and showing it to him, the smell of delicious, hot, noodles drifting and making his stomach growl.

“Nuh-uh…come here.” He said, turning on the stool with his legs spread, both feet on the ground, his eyes unable to understand what stood in front of him. She walked towards him, right between his legs and he pushed the hand holding the bag until she put it down on the table, then putting both of his hands on her ass and pulling her towards him, their hips meeting. “Hi.” He said with a smirk, tone low and eyes dark.

“Hey,” Her hands moved immediately to tangle in his hair and moved down to peck his lips, a sweet action that quickly got out of control, with him moaning into her mouth when she bit his lip and battled his tongue with her own.

“What the fuck are you wearing, babe?” He asked while he kissed down her neck and across her shoulder.

“Nothing,” She said innocently.

“Oh, no…no…this is not nothing, and thank god for that, because you were outside just now. What the _fuck_ are you wearing?” He asked again, his tone almost a warning and Betty idly wondered if she could get him to spank her a little…just for fun.

“Oh…this ol’thing?” She tilted her head innocently and stepped back from his grasp to twirl for him. She had gotten out of the car in a trench coat, which didn’t seem too odd given it had been raining all day, but she had taken it off as soon as she’d come in and before he’d seen it. What was under the trench coat? Well…it was a very, very small cheerleading uniform, minus the shorts she used to wear back when she was in school. It had been tight even then, and now that she had filled out more, any sway of her hips was enough to flash the lace undies she was wearing just for him. “I found it in a box and I haven’t worn it in so long, you know what they say, if you haven’t worn it in a year, throw it out…I didn’t want to throw it out, so I’m wearing it. Do you like it?” She was acting innocent and silly and she bit her bottom lip facing her shoes but looking up at him through her lashes and he reached forward in a movement too quick for her to step away from, grabbing the skirt and pulling her to him again, turning and sitting her on the table in no time at all.

“Time for lunch.” He said hungrily, but the noodles remained in the bag while he pushed her legs open and kissed up her inner thigh, biting right as he reached the lace and licking a thick stripe, realizing then that this lace wasn’t lined, and that she was far wetter than he’d expected. “Were you thinking about me on your way here, Baby?”

Betty leaned back putting her weight on her hands, her breathing picking up and a shiver moving through her. “Y-yes.”

“Did you change in the car?” He sucked her through the fabric, making her moan and buckle her hips towards him.

“N-no.”

“No?” He pulled away, eyes dark and angry, “Who else saw you like this?” He was a territorial person, that came from years of having nothing and nobody, he was loyal to a fault, but that meant that what was his, was only _his_ , and right now, all the logic and feminism he usually prided himself in had flown out the window.

“Nobody…coat. I had a coat.”

“Good. You only ever wear this for me from now on, do you understand?” He asked and she just nodded, loving this side of him, the side she’d seen that first night at the library.

“Juggie?” She bit her bottom lip again, blushing, uncertain about her next words, “Be rough with me…mark me.” Jughead paused, nearly asking her to repeat herself, unable to comprehend how such gorgeous, perfect, unmarred skin could be marked, or even how someone like her could want such a thing.

“Are you sure?” He was fully hard, straining his pants and his hands itched to do as she asked, but he had to make sure. Territorial or not, he wasn’t a monster.

“Please?”

Without further pomp and circumstance Jughead dove under her skirt, moved the thin, useless lace to the side and went at her in earnest, sucking and licking, slurping and biting. Betty, above him was moaning, feeling his tongue move from her clit, abusing it until she could feel herself on the edge to only blowing cold air on her to calm her down only enough for him to dive back in again, fucking her with his tongue and putting two fingers inside her, curling them just so. She was arching against his mouth, needing more than just his fingers and his tongue, needing all of him, and then he stopped.

Jughead got up and got her out of the constricting top in a move so smooth neither of them could quite figure out and groaning when he noticed the matching bra. He couldn’t help but spend long seconds kissing her bare chest, his lips moving up to her neck, biting her earlobe and then crushing their lips together in an almost violent kiss as he turned her so she was laying down fully on the table. Jughead wasted no time and slipped her underwear off, throwing it over his shoulder onto a pie of sawdust without caring. He unbuckled his belt, opened his pants, pulled himself out without kicking his pants all the way off and climbed over her, pushing into her without warning or preparation, but it seemed it was the right thing to do, the stretch and burn of his large member making Betty groan and immediately wrap her legs around him, her hips moving, even as his didn’t, needing more.

Jughead rested his forehead on her neck and tried to keep his mind together. “Just tell me if you need to stop.” He said.

“Mooooove.”

“Betty I need you to say it.”

“I’ll let you know if I need to stop, Jug,” she said between pants and tightened around him right as she shocked him with “Now, please… _fuck me_.” That was all he needed to hear before with a sharp bite to the juncture between her neck and shoulder he started moving in and out of her at an animalistic pace, her body bouncing with each thrust, hitting a place even deeper than usual.

“J-Jug…don’t stop, oh fuck, god…more… _harder_.” She begged and he didn’t want to ever disappoint an angel, so he did as she asked. His lips marked all of her, sucking deep purple bruises onto her shoulder and her neck, he sucked on her breasts, leaving marks near her collarbones and he pushed and pulled, until her moans and groans sounded different, more whiney. Suddenly aware of the change, and unsure how long they’d been doing this he stopped, deep inside her.

“You okay?”

“If you stop, I will kill you.” She said, both breathless and voiceless, and god if it wasn’t the sexiest thing he’d ever heard. He moved in earnest and put his hand between them, circling her clit almost painfully while his lips, still shining and his tongue, still tasting of her pressed against her own inviting lips. They moaned into each other’s mouths, breathed hot, needy whines and air into each other’s lungs and then, they both exploded with stars behind their eyelids, her body arching so far off the table it actually cracked and his hips stuttering until he was fully and completely spent.

“Holy…fuck.” He said, but her eyes were still closed and she had a sweet little smile on her face that made her look as innocent as ever, even as she laid there, breasts exposed, cunt pulsating around him and he thought he was the luckiest guy to ever exist.

“Mmmm” was all she managed, not moving at all but for one hand moving to his hair and combing through it. They stayed like that for a while and then, “Next time, bend me over and spank me?” She blinked twice and finally opened her eyes to study his face at her request, but she didn’t need to given she felt his dick twitch inside her making her gasp and suddenly realizing another fantasy of hers.

“Fuck, baby…say that again and you might get me going already.” He chuckled but it was half hearted, his eyes showing that his mind was clearly on the idea of his palm against her flesh.

“Jughead Jones,” She said, putting on her most sultry tone, which was only made sexier by her raspy voice from all the yelling, She used the hand on his hair to pull his face down towards her, her chest arching so her nipples pressed against him, “Will you please spank me? I’ve been naughty.” She asked and kissed him before he could respond. In turn, his response was a groan into her mouth and his dick twitching again, this time harder. She tightened around him and kissed up his cheek to his ear, “I want to feel you get hard inside me.” She whispered, and Jughead’s hips moved of their own accord trying to push deeper inside her even in it’s spent state.

“Baby…” He was breathless all over again, but spent and still wanting, he didn’t know how she did it, what sort of spell she had over him, but he was addicted, and he wanted more.

“But not today. Today we eat Thai. I can’t be late, I have a meeting in a bit.”

“What?” That was not what he’d been expecting but alas, there she was, still laying on the table, still holding him between her legs, her hands traveling down his clothed back and squeezing his bare ass making him jerk forward again making her hum and bite her lip.

“You’re so good that I came and I’m still horny. Explain that to me, will you?” She said crudely, she wasn’t usually so blunt, but really, after a mind-blowing orgasm, why was she still wanting? Why was she still unable to let go of him and in turn, his whole body began to stiffen and she gasped, closing her eyes and focusing on the only part of her body she needed him in.

“You can’t do that. You can’t say shit like that, and get me rock fucking hard and then leave…I mean, you can, I would never force you or anything, and I don’t mean to guilt you-I’m sorry- I just meant that…It’s just that…”

“Jughead?”

“Yeah.”

“Shut up.” Using the legs that were holding her hips tightly against his she used her weight to flip them, and then she was grinding down on him, making figure eights, one hand behind her playing with his balls in a move she had learned from porn.

“Holy…Mother of-Jesus Ch- _Fuck Betty…”_ That was all she needed to know, and if it was her words that got him hard, she had an idea. She kept grinding and playing with his balls, not lifting her body once even as his hips moved up in an attempt to make thrusts and she placed her lips by his ear, her free hand holding onto the hair at the nape of his neck.

“Think you can cum like this, Juggie?” She tightened around him for as long as she could and then released the pressure. “With me grinding on you just like this? God, you’re so big, You feel so good inside me. Tell me, do you like me like this? Filthy? Cunt dripping and ready for you, _addicted_ , unable to stop myself from wanting more?”

“I-I do…I like you like this-I like you every way, Betty. Jesus, what are you doing to me?”

She began marking him as he had done her, leaving bruises and bites on his neck which made his hips stutter all over again and god she liked that feeling, it made her mewl, back arching. “Rub my clit, Jug, Come on, I want you to feel me cum, get so, so tight around you that you can’t breathe.”

Jughead was pretty sure he was already not breathing, but he still did what she said, reaching between them and starting to rub her clit, then slowly grabbing it between two fingers and pinching it, not enough to injure, but just enough to hurt a little, to give a sting, one it seemed she liked if the way she immediately tightened around him was any indication, only getting him closer to his own release as well, he sat up, still holding her in place atop him. They were good at this, going at it like the world was ending and then immediately deciding to change tactics, take their time, enjoy finding out new things about one another. In a moment of pure abandon he slapped her clit and she stopped moving. Panic filled him that he’d hurt her but just looking at her face was enough for the panic to ebb and for him to do it again. Betty’s lips fell open and she started moving against him like her body demanded it. “Again…please” She begged and he did, finding it hotter than he should, the sound of the slap, the desperation in her eyes, he alternated, slapping and pinching and rubbing, he could see her clit swollen and her skin turning red.

Betty began riding him in earnest then, moving up as far as she could without him falling out of her and then dropping her full body weight on him time and time again and his ministrations didn’t stop and she felt something she’d never felt before, a pressure she wasn’t familiar with but desperately chased and when his hands moved to her hips to help her move more efficiently, he looked down and blew cold air between them making that rubber band inside her, one she didn’t know she had, snap and with a scream like nothing she’d ever screamed before her whole body arched painfully, she dropped fully on him, his cock hitting the right exact spot and liquid shot out of her like it never had before getting his shirt wet and even making a small puddle where their bodies combined as one. Betty only saw white, her body spasming and feeling so good she didn’t realize he had cum the second she had. His eyes were big and wide, his hands on her back helping her stay up, he was still inside her, but there was no way he’d be able to get hard again after an orgasm like _that_ he was sure he had come harder then than he ever had in his life and the sight, that sight, he was sure would get him off many times still.

“Betty…I didn’t know you could…holy _fuck_ , that was hot.”

“Huh?” She was still trying to catch her breath, her brows furrowing at the terrible headache coming on as she took deep breaths. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at him. “What…happened to your shirt?” She had been too lost in _feeling_ the most amazing orgasm of her life to really notice what said orgasm had caused, and slowly, very, _very_ slowly understanding started to dawn on her. “No, I’ve never…I don’t…”

“Betts,” He said, it was his turn to whisper in her ear, licking and biting her earlobe, “You just squirted all over me, and it was the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. From now on, my duty in life is to make you cum until you can’t anymore.” Something in Betty felt alight, not a small kindling, but a full raging forest fire ready and willing to take him, his word, and his body. Still, she blushed, feeling mortified.

“Oh my god! I’m s-“

“Don’t you fucking dare or I _will_ spank you and you will not make your meeting. You’re not going dressed like this, are you?” He tightened his hold on her hips and helped her move off of him, both of them wincing at the loss. Jughead got his pants done up quickly, but Betty couldn’t really put on her lace undies back on given the state they were in with sawdust all over. With a smirk in place he reached into the pocket of his leather jacket which he kept laying on an arm chair by the table and showed her a pair of her own panties.

“How- Why do you even…” She was confused and amused all at once, and maybe even a little creeped out.

“They’re clean, I just figured this would happen sooner or later, you needing panties in a pinch.” He winked at her having chosen his words carefully and purposefully, making her blush but not handing them to her. Instead, from his stool, he pulled her again so her legs dangles off the table, spread wide with him between them and helped her legs into the underwear easying up slowly as he moved up her thighs with his lips as well. He didn’t tease this time, licking whatever had leaked out of her and kissing her still swollen and overworked clit until she squirmed uncomfortably, only then did he pull the cloth all the way on.

“Thank you. Umm…No, I’m stopping at home first, I have to change…I have to _shower_ if I can.”

“Mmmm…good. Don’t want you smelling like sex at this meeting of yours. Come here,” He cupped her neck and pulled her in for a kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck in no time at all and deepening it, tasting him and herself on his tongue and thinking that this alone could get her off all over again.

“I have to go,” She spoke against his lips and kissed him again.

“Stay…”

“Just…” She kissed his neck, biting and then lapping her tongue over the mark. “Keep that thought for when you get home. Do you keep a change of shirts, this one is…wet.” She finished, finally pulling away and looking at what she’d done, still unable to comprehend it. She slowly moved off the table, holding onto the edge, her legs weak and her core throbbing, reminding her of what they’d been doing only moments prior. She was certainly thankful for his forethought or she’d be dripping down her legs for sure.

“Don’t worry about me, I don’t mind the reminder.” His eyes hadn’t quite gotten back to their usual blue yet, the black irises proof of his lingering arousal.

“Do you like me?” She asked, blushing and looking at him through her lashes.

“What- Yes, Betty, I like you. A lot.” He didn’t want to fight, and so he didn’t voice that it was a stupid question, of course he liked her, who wouldn’t she was sex on legs but more than that, she was beautiful and smart and clever, she was funny and strong and self sufficient, she was caring and loving and sweet, she was amazing.

“Good.” She pecked his lips again and grabbed her untouched Pad Thai from the bag leaving his behind, “Remember that when you get home, okay?”

Jughead smiled, it was the second time she’d said it, ‘home’ not ‘the house’, not ‘your house’ but ‘home’. He knew he would have to sooner or later but now he wasn’t going to tell her that her house was nearly done.

*** * ***

That afternoon, after the fastest shower of her life, Betty Cooper dressed in a blouse, a skirt and heels had a guest over. The woman walked around making notations, her heels clacking terribly against the wooden floors and humming to herself as she looked around. She walked the backyard, checked the library and the office, looked for a bar, which simply didn’t exist in the house, and then moved to the second and third floors. She asked about the living arrangements and pursed her lips at hearing Betty was only there temporarily, but seemed happy that she at least had her own room, and then she moved upstairs. She checked each and every room with standards Betty was pretty sure the Army wouldn’t even have, but Betty also understood that most of this was out of curiosity about the house, about Jughead, and not so much about the cold woman doing her job. When they reached the last room, Theo and Lia and Liam’s room the woman turned to Betty with a raised eyebrow but looked around nonetheless without a word. It only took half an hour, but it felt like forever, and then, they were sitting at the kitchen island with untouched teacups as the woman gave Betty a list of things she had to do to get the house ready, but even with that list, she gave her another paper, a single sheet that changed her life and left.

Jughead got home early to find Betty dressed to the nines, still sitting at the island and looking down. If he was honest with himself, he’d expected to find her in another tiny outfit waiting for him, but since he hadn’t told her he’d be early he knew it was just a dream to explore at a later date.

“Hey.” He smiled, hanging his jacket by the door and walking towards her and taking a sit. Betty just slid the paper to him and there in front of him, in English sat a document, an official, signed, government document that named her a foster parent. Jughead read it ten times before tearing his eyes off the paper and to her combing his hair back with his hand. “What does this mean?”

Betty hadn’t thought she’d be accepted so soon, she figured it was probably difficult and would have to prove herself, but apparently, it wasn’t and she was so glad for that. The social worker had gone on to explain that due to the fact Lia and Liam seemed to have built a room here, clearly, they were better off here than anywhere else.

“Lia and Liam are coming home.”

Jughead was astounded.

*** * ***

The kids were finishing up homework and starting to stretch as they often did as a sign that they wanted to be dismissed to go to their rooms, Betty thought it was adorable that they thought she hadn’t caught on, but she played along for now. That’s when the door bell rang and it seemed as if everyone stopped what they were doing. Afraid the change wouldn’t go through for a few weeks, Betty had decided not to tell them about the return of the siblings, but it was as if they children sensed something.

“Fine, I’ll get it!” Jughead rolled his eyes and Betty stepped forward just a little, everyone had turned to the door, breaths were being held, and she wondered if any of them were scared it would be their parents coming through, she certainly was. As soon as the door creaked open, though, Liam jumped to hug Jughead and Lia ran to wrap her arms around Betty right as she dropped to the floor to pull her into a fierce hug.

Betty couldn’t stop tears from rolling down her cheeks, a hand on the girl’s head, holding her tightly.

“Are you okay, Ms. Cooper?” She asked between her own tears.

“I’m just really happy you’re back.” She whispered and pulled her into another hug, opening one arm to welcome Liam, who had been moving towards her slowly, and pulling him into the hug as well.

Jughead watched from his place by the door and everyone was too taken by the scene with Betty to notice his own tears being wiped away by a swift movement of his hand. Everyone, that would be, except a little boy who extended his arms up, big brown eyes begging to be picked up. When Jughead conceded, Theo grabbed his face between two tiny hands and kissed his cheek.

“It’s okay, Mr. Jones, I wont tell.” He smiled and wrapped tiny arms around Jughead’s neck.

“Thank you, Theo.” He said and the boy nodded.

“I cry when I’m happy too, sometimes.” He explained with furrowed eyebrows in a tone that indicated he was being very serious and knowledgeable. “I think it’s okay now if you want to have a baby with Ms. Cooper.” He nodded, not knowing that Betty hadn’t shared their private conversation with Jughead at all. Jughead was stunned at his words, but didn’t say anything, making a mental note to ask Betty if she had any idea what Theo meant later. For now, as the hug became a gigantic group hug, Jughead watched, feeling his heart swell, maybe this change he’d been avoiding was one they all needed, after all, whether they meant to or not, they had become a family.

“STORY TIME!” Theo yelled, both his little arms up, bouncing in Jughead’s hold. The older kids grunted, but everyone stayed while Ms. Cooper read a story, Jughead made the voices.

Lia and Liam were holding each other like they were afraid to be separated again and Theo, being Theo, had laid down across both of their laps claiming they had probably missed him so much he had to be close to them.

It was then, looking around at a living room full of smiling faces that Jughead realized the most terrifying of things, maybe, just maybe, he had fucked up and fallen in love with Betty Cooper.

 

 

 

 

 


	11. A Better Place than Anywhere Else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty talks to the siblings to find out why they left in the first place, and she learns who called Child Protective services. Jughead finds out about a promise Betty shouldn't have made and a fight evolves to a question they might not be ready for.   
> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -Semi-SMUT on this chapter
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Things had settled down since the siblings’ return, Theo was sleeping well again, but had gotten a terrible cold, so he hung out at home with Betty when he wasn’t sitting patiently at Jughead’s shop pointing at everything and asking “What’s that?” promptly followed by “Can I touch it?” and then, “I know it’s dangerous, can I touch it anyway?” It drove Jughead up the wall but though none of them had said it, they did look forward to their lunches together, even if it had been soup every single day.

“You have a lot of energy, Young One.” Jughead said poking his side making the little boy yelp and giggle.

“I think you’re ready to go back to school.” Betty said with a smile and Theo gasped, coughing too loudly for it to be real and putting the back of his hand against his forehead like a shocked Victorian woman.

“OH! No!! I feel _horrible_ I can’t go back to _school!”_ he said dramatically, but Betty took that as a sign.

“Theo, are you being bullied again?” She asked sweetly, but there was no mistaking the fire in her eyes, she was ready to snap some necks.

“Nope!” He popped the ‘p’ “I just like being with you.” He smiled and then wrapped his little arms around Jughead, “And you too, Mr. Jones.”

“Thanks Little One.” Jug kissed his head and Theo took it as a sign.

“Can I play with the loud machine now?” His eyes alight at the possibility.

“No. It’s dangerous.”

“But-“

“I’ll make you a deal,” Jughead said finally, “When it’s legal for you to drive you can touch it, and when it’s legal for you to drink, you can use it.” Theo’s whole face lit up as he looked at his fingers trying to count up to a number, though he didn’t know at what age these things were legal.

“DEAL!” He called out and Betty giggled, making Jughead look at her with a fondness he hadn’t known he had in him.

“Alright, it’s time for us to go, Theo’s going to help me shop for ingredients for tonight’s home made fried chicken and mashed potatoes!”

“And coleslaw!” Added Theo enthusiastically.

“And coffee” Added Jughead a little grumpy that he hadn’t had his coffee that morning, having assumed there was none because Betty had purchased a brand with a different color label, which meant that even if it was in front of him, he hadn’t seen it. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, taking their trash with her to get rid of on her way out and picked up Theo.

“Why is it that even though you walk very, very well, you always end up being picked up?” Betty questioned, and the boy’s reply made Jughead lose it, laughing loudly and shaking his head at the honesty behind it.

“Because, Ms. Cooper,” he said using his serious tone, and then whispered, “I’m smart.” Betty lifted an eyebrow, but smiled too, trying hard not to let Jughead’s laughter become contagious.

By the time they got home they had the ingredients for dinner and enough dessert and unhealthy snacks to last them a year…or a week if Theo had his way.

“Theo, remembered when I talked to you in the library?” Betty asked while the little boy drank orange juice.

“Mhmm!” He said smiling and putting the glass down having left an orange mustache on.

“Well, today I have to talk to Lia and Liam, do you think you can keep everyone doing their work in here?” She asked sweetly, recently he had taken to going everywhere with her and Jughead, he was like a puppy in that way and he was far too adorable to say no to when all he wanted was to watch TV together or have stories read to him, this, however, she had to do alone.

“Yup!” He popped his ‘p’ a habit she was sure he had gotten from Jughead.

“Thank you. You’re the best helper!”

“I know!” His smile was wide and his humility non existent, Betty only shook her head, smile not wavering for a second and focusing on making dinner and answering every “What’s that?” and “What are you ding now?” and “Can I do it?” that was promptly followed by “I know it’s hot and dangerous but I can do it!” and finally, “So what if I’m siiiiick?! Okay…what’s that?” And the cycle started all over again.

*** * ***

They were all sitting on the floor on comfy, fluffy pillows munching on cookies dipped in warm white milk with honey.

“Did we do something wrong, Ms. Cooper?” Liam asked, making Betty wonder why the hell everyone thought that when she pulled them apart _with cookies!_

“No, sweetheart. We just need to talk about a few things.” She smiled and went on to explain that now they were legally under her custody, they couldn’t come and go as they pleased anymore, they had to inform her where they were, if they had school events to go to, legally she was essentially their mother, though she didn’t put it in those words and she needed to make sure they were safe, so she asked that if they did want to see their mother, she could take them, but they couldn’t go places alone anymore and they certainly couldn’t leave the house after sundown, either. They nodded, apparently willing to follow any rule she set forth for them, afraid she’d get rid of them otherwise, and then Betty made it to the point of conversation she actually wanted to reach.

“Do you feel safe here?” She asked and they both nodded, making Betty sigh, “Are you happy here?”

“Yes, Ms. Cooper. We like it here.” Said Lia, looking at the ground.

“Hmm…so, I’m a little confused then, why did you guys leave? I was so worried about you.”

They looked at each other but stayed quiet, making Betty take another approach. “Whatever you say, I wont be mad and it wont change anything, okay? I just need to know so we can avoid it happening again.” They shook their heads again but Liam spoke up.

“It wont change anything?”

“Not a thing.”

“Promise?”

“I swear, Sweetheart.”

“Even if we broke rules?” Asked Lia

“Even if you broke rules, it’ll be our secret.”

“We found out at school that mom was going to be kicked out of the trailer because she hadn’t paid rent.” Said Lia

“So we went to the Wyrm…” Added Liam, making Betty’s heart pick up pace, Jughead had told her about that place though she had never been and the thought alone made her want to break necks, how dare anyone allow them in without helping them…or maybe they’d been the ones to call child protective services? “They told us that if we did a delivery they’d let her stay there until next month. But Mr. Jones has a no drugs policy so we couldn’t bring it here and we went to mom’s and then they came and took us.” Liam finished, Betty was livid, absolutely pissed beyond belief.

“Okay,” she said quietly, doing her best and using her mother’s training to stay calm, though she knew she’d be going for a run that night. “It’s our secret, okay? But no more dealing with the Serpents, no more talking to adults you don’t know, no more drugs, and no running away, or they wont let me take care of kids anymore, and that wouldn’t be nice, right?”

“Yes, Ms. Cooper” they echoed. “I’m sorry,” said Liam, “Me too,” said Lia.

“What if…I give you an allowance for helping me out? I was thinking of making an herb garden, maybe some vegetables and I would need a lot of help.” They both nodded quickly, clearly excited at the idea.

“Can we go?”

“Yes, you can go.” She smiled and was amazed by the fact that they took their cups and plates of cookies with them, not leaving them behind for her to clean up. Betty rubbed her face with both hands and reached for her phone, she needed to find out who had called child protective services, she needed to know what the hell had happened in their time gone.

She was amazed that the social worker picked up in no time at all, but didn’t seemed thrilled by question.

“Ms. Cooper their case was passed down to me, usually we don’t take the information of the caller unless-Oh.” The woman said, the sound of papers being moved and folders being reached for. “Ms. Cooper, I can not tell you this information, which is the reason that I am not telling you, do you understand? I am not going to tell you that their mother has given up parental rights because it’s confidential.” The woman said and Betty froze, her blood going cold.

“I’m sorry I don’t under-“

“Their mother called us, Ms. Cooper because, it says here, ‘the little rats were eating her food and drinking her liquor’ Ms. Cooper, do you understand I have _not_ told you this information.”

“I understand.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. That monster doesn’t deserve to be a mother.”

“Many don’t.”

“Yeah, many don’t.” She sighed. By the time she came out of the library everyone had gone upstairs to their rooms and Jughead was under the table with a hammer. “What are you doing?” She asked getting under the table with him, feeling safer for some reason in the small space.

“Taking apart this table so it’s easier to toss.”

“Why? I love this table!”

“It’s too small, Betts, I made a new one, I’m bringing it in tomorrow with some help.” He said proudly and she smiled, but her heart wasn’t in it.

“Can you not take it apart, maybe? I could use it, we could put it outside for picnics or something.” She just couldn’t bare the thought of yet one more thing being tossed like it didn’t matter, even if this one was inanimate. Jughead just nodded, sensing this was about more than a table.

“What’s wrong, Baby?” He turned and pulled her close.

“It was their mother.”

“Who’s mother?”

“Lia and Liam…it was Bertha.”

“What was-Baby, explain what you’re talking about please?”

“How can a mother ask for her children to be taken away? How can someone just…get rid of them for eating her food and drinking her liquor! You know those kids have never touched a drop of alcohol, you can tell that they’re just desperate to make that woman happy and proud. How can a mother just-“ There were tears rolling down her cheeks,

“Abandon her children? You could ask my mom if you want.” He said, and she felt insensitive for bringing it up given his past.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean, I’m just…so frustrated.”

“I know, but Betts, you said it, every day away from that woman they become better people. You will make them better people.” He smiled and kissed her cheek. She merely nodded, hoping he was right. “Wanna go to bed? It’s kind of late.”

“Yeah, I guess hiding under the table wont get me very far at all.” She sighed and crawled out followed by Jughead.

“You know…we should hide under the table more often.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your ass when you crawl.” He waggled his eyebrows making her giggle.

“Is this your way of asking to fuck doggy style?” She smirked at the way his face contorted with shock at her words and visibly swallowed, eyes wide.

“Is that your way of agreeing?” He finally managed to ask and the moment she shrugged, thinking she’d be able to drag him upstairs he crowded her and turned her so he could push his hard on against her ass. “Oh, Baby…you’ll have to be quiet, you know that?” He whispered in her ear and bent her down onto the table.

Betty arched her ass wanting to rub up against him and making him gasp, he didn’t know how in the fucking world he’d gotten so lucky, but he wasn’t about to question it.

“Let’s go upstairs, Jug, the kids could come down.”

“They wont. It’s nearly midnight.”

“They could have nightmares, they could be thirsty they could…” She stopped talking when he lowered her panties and fumbled with his belt, she wanted him so badly, she always wanted him, and each time he made her feel better about a fear or a memory or a thought she wanted him more. He placed himself not at her opening but between her thighs, always pressed together unless he asked her to spread them and pushed, the head of his cock moving between her folds and pressing on her clit.

Betty gasped, not having expected that and moved her ass further back, grinding on him, encouraging him. He moved between her thighs until he felt her wetness on his shaft and her breaths getting louder.

“Juggie…please,” She whined as he kept going, teasing giving just enough for her to want more but not nearly enough to have her cum.

“Please what, Baby?”

“Get inside me, I need you inside me.”

“God, you’re so good.” He nearly growled and picked up his hand, smacking it down on her ass causing a gasp that made his cock twitch.

“Please, I need you.”

“Let’s go.” He commanded, pulling away from her and rearranging himself in his pants before she pulled her underwear back on and turned, dazed, confused and unhappy at being so turned on and being asked to move.

“What the f-“

“Upstairs, I want to be loud, I want to make you cum until you’re quivering and begging for more and then, I’m going to fuck you some more until you squirt again, do you understand?” He asked and she couldn’t help but lick her lips and nod, it was her turn to have deer-in-headlights look. She followed him up and once in the bedroom he closed and locked the door. “Get naked and get on all fours on the bed, Baby.” She did as he ordered while took his clothes off too.

It was a loud, _explosive_ night with both of them enjoying and indulging in one another in a way they never had before. Turned out, Betty liked being held down and spanked, that much didn’t surprise her, she was sure it was some psychological damage left by her past, the need to be overpowered. What did surprise her was that she learned that Jughead liked her in control, too. He liked letting go, making no decisions and being dominated as well.

The morning went by slowly, it was Saturday, so everyone would still asleep well into the day, which made her realize she now could wake him up the way she’d tried to wake him up all that time ago, getting under the sheets and starting to kiss down his body, lapping at his morning wood and wrapping her lips around the head when someone knocked on the door. The first thing she felt was annoyance and she half wanted to ignore it, but she knew she couldn’t, so she started making her way up his body to throw on a robe and get the door, except she found him, sleepily looking at her with a smirk.

“The universe hates blowjobs.” He smirked, voice deep with sleep.

“Apparently,” She huffed.

“Stay in bed, I’ll be right back. He threw on boxers and pajama pants and headed for the door. There were some mumbles and some talking and then he came back to find her with the sheets around her hips, barely covering her.

“Can you go back to sleep? I really want to wake you up,” She smirked, but the look on his face made her pull the sheet up to cover herself, he looked angry and though her first instinct was to apologize, she had no idea what in the world he could be angry about.

“What were you thinking, Betty?”

“What did I do? I don’t know what you’re angry about again. I don’t like this yo-yoing, Jughead.”

“What were you thinking offering Lia and Liam a fucking _job_? He wasn’t yelling, but he might as well have been, his tone was venomous.

“I didn’t! I offered them an allowance, they need the money, it’s why they left and I can’t have them running away to deliver drugs, Jughead.”

“You can’t do that! What’s going to happen when more kids leave? When they tell you they need money too? Are you going to drain your funds?”

“NO! I’ll figure it out, okay? It’s only fair I give them back some of the money the government gives me to take care of them! The rest is going in college funds, I’m doing my best! I thought this was the best way to fix this now, to spoil them a little” She said, though it angered her that he did have a point about all the other kids.

“And then what? You spoil them now and what happens when you leave us? Then we’ll all be alone again and trying to find what the fuck to do without you”

Betty was socked, eyebrows furrowing she got up throwing on the previous nights’ clothes shocked, “Us?”

“You know what I mean!” He yelled, his hand moving to comb his hair back with his fingers

“No, Jughead, what do you mean?” She challenged, refusing to stay silent when she was so confused

“Just that…you came in here and you changed everything and now you’re going to leave because your house is almost ready, because everyone leaves, ask any of these kids! _Everyone leaves_!”

“What do you want me to do, Jughead? I can’t change what I already did and what am I supposed to do? Just stay forever?!”

“YES!” He yelled at her, eyes locking together, silence falling between them while Betty pulled on the hem of her blouse afraid she had misheard.

“What?” Her eyes were wide and scared and confused as he took two long steps towards her putting his hands on her cheeks and kissing her senseless. At first she didn’t respond, unsure of what was happening, but his lips were addictive and in no time at all she was kissing him back.

“Stay.” He said against her lips, it sounded so much like a prayer, so much like begging.

“Okay.” She whispered back, deciding that the consequences, the details, they could wait for now and instead focused on kissing him again.

“Ms. Cooooooper!” a scream broke them apart and she looked towards the door with a sigh, knowing that she had to go if she was needed and giggled, feeling giddy and happy and _young_.

“Hold that thought?” She asked and he nodded, but as she walked past him, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into another kiss which she chuckled into but gave in completely nonetheless.

“Ms. Cooop-ooooh! SORRY MS. COOPER! SORRY MR. JONES!” Someone said and ran out of the room and up the stairs.

“Fine, I’ll hold that thought. Damn hooligans, they know they can’t come in here.” He finally agreed in an grumpy mumble and let her follow up the stairs to see what was wrong.

Betty had been both glad and frustrated that nothing had been wrong at all, but Lia and Liam had spilled the beans, not about money, but about the project and Betty found herself with ten kids dressed and ready to get their hands in the dirt. She smiled and yawned and promised them they’d get right to it…after coffee. SO. Much. Coffee. And promptly headed down to get Jughead.

“Juggiiiiiiieeeee!” She whined, walking into his bedroom right as he stepped out of the shower, not bothering to wear a towel around his hips.

“Does nobody here understand the concept of ‘my bedroom, at least knock!” He mumbled under his breath, rubbing the towel over his curls and stretching. Betty lifted an eyebrow at his grumpy behavior and started getting naked, his eyes following her body as she entered his bathroom. “It’s not my fault you refused to wait for me, Jug…Did you wash behind your ears or do you need another shower?”

Jughead looked down at himself and realized that yes, he definitely needed another shower.

* * *

Eventually they made it downstairs to guzzle coffee like it was the only good thing in the world.

“I need to borrow your truck…with you in it…pretty pwease?” She smiled sweetly and he narrowed his eyes.

“No. What for?”

“Whyyyyyy?” She bit her bottom lip, making him rearrange himself with a defeated sigh.

“You asked too nicely. You’re planning something I wont like.”

“NOT TRUE! A little true. Okay, true. I want to take the kids to pick the seeds of the-Wait! I have an idea! I don’t need your truck.” She said happily.

“Good. Wait! why?” Now he was twice as worried.

“I think it would be good for them to actually plant actual seeds from tomatoes and peppers and we can also plant some onions and potatoes and see if they actually grow in…and I’ll buy some seeds just to be safe.” She whispered the last part. “Where can we make it?”

Jughead looked out at the acres of beautiful, untouched, well kept green. “Anywhere. I recommend you start in a corner so as things grow-stop-“ He said before she could interrupt to tell him it wouldn’t grow, “things will grow and get out of hand, you can expand if you start on a corner.” She smiled and put both her hands on his cheeks and pecked his lips.

“EWWWW!” Theo said, looking clearly distressed and lifting his arms for Betty to pick him up, which, of course she did. “Ms. Cooper!” He said seriously putting both tiny hands on her cheeks and looking into her eyes. “I said he could put a baby in your belly, but I don’t want to see it!” This made them both chuckle until she realized what he’d said.

“Wait, Theo…when did you tell Mr. Jones that?”

“When he crie-umm…when Lia and Liam came back.”

“Really? And what did he say?” She wondered, smirking at the panic in Jughead’s eyes.

“I don’t remember. Lia says that if I don’t remember then it wasn’t important but I know he wants to because he smiles when you’re here. He smiles a lot when you’re here. Especially when you’re not looking at him.”

“Really?” She asked and Jughead rubbed his head making his hair fly in every direction.

“Stop it, Little One, you’ll get me in trouble!” He said through gritted teeth.

“Nuh-UH!” Replied Theo, “Ms. Cooper wants a baby. She told me. She said she didn’t know if you wanted to be her boyfriend but that she thought she would be lucky if you did because you’re nice and make her laugh and also because…I don’t remember the other reasons and that I would be a good teacher for the baby.” He said, leaving Betty bright red and clearing her throat.

“Now you’re going to get _me_ in trouble!” Betty said and the little boy huffed.

“Adults are complicated. May I have a cookie please?!”

“Yes, you can have a cookie, here, go play in the yard.” She put him on the ground with a cookie and when he left to play with the other kids they were left alone again.

“Do you…want children?” Betty asked slowly, afraid to bring it up so soon.

“I mean, yeah, eventually. I do. Do…you?”

“Yeah, yes. Like you said, eventually.” She smiled, the awkward silence between them stretching. “Right, yeah, okay. I’m uhh…I’m going to go. I’m going to go help them plant.”

“Right, yeah, I’ll wait for the table.” He watched her go in her overalls and wondered when this bubble would pop, when life would realize that everything he was getting wasn’t deserved and take it all away.


	12. A Place Like Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty is haunted by dreams and monsters while Jughead learns that, for once, he's excited about the future, but an unannounced visit changes everything. Will they make it through this storm?
> 
>  
> 
> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**
> 
>  
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -No SMUT on this chapter
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Babies. She couldn’t stop thinking about them. Would she be a good mother? Probably not, not with the mother she’d had. Would having a child impair her taking care of the children who already needed her? Would her family approve of her having a child at all? Would she end up like that monster Bertha, calling someone to take her own kids off her hands? Did she even want them? She had never actually thought about it until Jughead had asked and now her mind was reeling, she wasn’t sure she was fit to a mother, or even that she wanted to be one.

She tried to get her mind off it, going to the store, next to which there was a Tots, Ties and Tiaras a lovely store of children’s clothing that she was sure hadn’t been there the week prior, in a moment of weakness she’d walked in and had been attacked by the smells and the music and all the tiny furniture and toys and, of course the clothing. She couldn’t help but look at the smallest set in the world consisting of denim-looking pants with attached khaki suspenders and a black t-shirt, the kicker was that alongside it there were tiny black biker booties and even a faux leather jacket and beanie to go with the look. It only got better by the fact that it came in Theo’s size too, though she wasn’t sure why she’d noticed that, and the thought alone sent her running out of the store.

She went to have frozen yogurt, but the shop was full of mothers with new borns in car seats that rocked and strollers sharing tips and giggling while the little ones gargled, put their feet in their mouths and smiled at her. Starting to feel like she couldn’t escape the fresh humans, she went to the manicurist, who apparently was pregnant out of the blue and one from one day to the next (should she be breathing in those fumes?) she went to her own house, to see that yes, it was nearly done and she had almost gotten away unscathed except a worker was face-timing with his wife who was holding their newborn, she went everywhere she could think of, but she was sure, at this point, she was being followed by them. Betty was going crazy, she couldn’t even escape them in her sleep, dreaming of the yard full of children running around and helping with the planting, some were fosters, others, though, had Jughead’s curls and her eyes and his wit and her hard-headedness. She shivered, unsure of what was going on or why this was happening from a single comment made by a child who simply didn’t know better. It didn’t help that Jughead had seemed completely unbothered by the whole exchange if anything he seemed chipper than usual.

Jughead was oblivious to Betty’s turmoil. He’d noticed Betty get a little distant, he’d noticed her visits to the shop were now shorter and far less sexy in nature but he didn’t mind, his mind too taken by a single event. Betty wanted kids. Eventually, sure, but the thought wouldn’t leave his mind, he thought she’d be a wonderful mother, and how beautiful would she look holding his child? He was smitten and spent more time imagining a future he didn’t quite believe would happen than doing anything else. He couldn’t help but imagine a beautiful little girl, with blonde curls and blue eyes running around the porch in butterfly wings and a magic wand. All the things he had once hoped he’d see JB do. He thought it was probably upsettingly weird that he imagined his future child in the same ways he had once imagined his baby sister but alas, his mind was a world it’s own and he held no control over it. A couple of times he had found himself going to the store to pick up something they didn’t need just to pass by Tots, Ties and Tiaras and looking at the displays of tiny clothing and furniture he would build because nothing would be too good for his children. His heart ached at the knowledge that even if every star aligned, even if it all went right and some miracle occurred making him really the recipient of something as amazing and wonderful as a family, he wouldn’t be able to give his child everything, his children would never have paternal grandparents or an aunt that cared, it was these thoughts that made him feel empty inside, a dull ache ever present glowing a little stronger but overshadowed by the idea of having a child all his own, a human being he would do everything in his power to protect and love and spoil.

Since Lia and Liam’s return, the house had fallen into a habitual schedule. Breakfast was served on the beautiful and gigantic table Jughead had built and lunches were handed out by the door with a hug and either encouragement (“You’ll do great on that test, don’t worry!”) or a reminder (“Today you have baseball practice, don’t forget!”). After school, cookies and milk were consumed before homework time and then the children had a couple of hours to shower, watch television or listen to music before everyone joined up before dinner at the huge table again, where they talked about their days, random facts they had learned and other trivia. Jughead arrived at different times each day, sometimes in time to help with homework and others in times to have dinner, but never after, not after the one time he’d arrived while the kids helped with the dishes and they collectively decided to complain simultaneously that dinner was at a set time and he was meant to be there because they said so, or, as Betty had assumed, they had missed him. The time after dinner was always spent with a story, Betty reading and Jughead making voices, and after that everyone went to bed.

The truth was that their home was beginning to feel like a family and slowly but surely, Betty’s belongings had moved into what had previously been Jughead’s master suite and was now _their_ master suite. On weekends they played board games and shared affirmations both about themselves and others, Theo was the king of them, looking at each person and telling them something wonderful about them each time, making Betty’s heart swell…and promptly shrink when anyone’s compliments to him were replied to with a simple “I know I’m great!” They also spent more and more time in the garden now that their vegetables and herbs were growing slowly but steadily and whenever she looked at the kids enjoying the backyard, she couldn’t help but remember that dream of hers and that little boy dressed just like Jughead, running around, holding Theo’s hand while Theo showed him a tomato hanging from a vine. She was happy, of course, but the recurring thoughts were stressing her out, bringing horrible anxiety back into her life.

It was after lunch on a Saturday, Jughead was at the shop finishing something, though he refused to tell her what, that someone knocked on the door, Betty didn’t hear it. Betty’s hands were wet and while the kids helped wash, dry and put away the plates when Liam walked up to her.

“Ms. Cooper?” He asked shyly and she frowned immediately, something was wrong, Liam never spoke weakly, not unless he tought he was in trouble or something scared him. “There’s a Mrs. Cooper here.” He mumbled and bit his lip.

“What?” She reached for paper towels, frantically drying her hands and starting the walk to the door to close it in the woman’s face, but Alice had already walked in and sneered as she looked around, clearly not finding this house up to her standards.

“You know, at first, I didn’t believe it.” She said, walking further in with a challenging eyebrow by her hairline. “When I was told that my daughter, _my_ daughter, who has had meals in castles, who has met the most influential political figures, who will inherit arguably the most important newspaper in the country, was living with juvenile delinquents.” She spat out the words, Alice had always seen herself as better than others, Betty often remembered the time she claimed she was better than the British Royal family because she had worked for what she had, and she hadn’t been born into it. That was a lie, she had married into it, and though she worked hard, she didn’t strictly have to.

“Hi, mom.” She managed, feeling attacked and overwhelmed on all fronts before turning and finding all the kids pretending not to listen, but staring nonetheless. Theo ran into her arms and glared at Alice.

“Sincerely, Elisabeth, wont you invite me in, gone for a year and already you lose all sense of decorum.”

“I’m sorry, would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Herbal tea will do.”

“Of course.” Betty set to make the stupid tea one handed, holding onto Theo for dear life, glad for having something to do with her hands.

“You’ve always been rebellious, Elisabeth, what is this about now? Are you trying to become a mother without a suitable husband? Is that what this is about? You want to humiliate me?”

Betty turned towards her mother, her hold of Theo tightening as if shielding him from venom. But Theo being himself, always innocent, always expecting good from people, always sweet corrected Alice with big eyes and little hands holding onto Betty’s shirt.

“She’s not my mom. She’s Ms. Cooper. My mom doesn’t want me, but Ms. Cooper is very nice. You’re…” He looked between the woman holding him and the woman standing in front of them in her expensive coat and cold look. “You’re Ms. Cooper’s mom. You also don’t want her? You sound like my mom.” He wasn’t accusing, he was asking, always inquisitive and it made Betty’s heart ache to know that a child was able to ask what Betty had never been able to. His question seemed to give Alice pause as she looked at the kid with something Betty might have called sadness had it not been Alice, and like a flash, her features became annoyed again. Betty, turned to the kids.

“Kids, go to your rooms, I’ll be right up and we’ll plan the afternoon.” She smiled, but they didn’t move. “Go on, please.” This seemed to snap the older kids out of it and they began moving the children up the stairs, all but Theo who, unbeknownst to Betty, hid in the library, peaking out and listening intently. The other kids went up the stairs just enough not to be seen, but they were there, also listening.

“This isn’t about you, Mom. These kids need me, and I love them. As long as they need my help I’ll help.”

“That wont do.”

“Why? Because you say so? Because…what? You don’t like _helping_. I left New York for a reason.”

“An unreasonable, illogical, pathetic, weak one. If you want to get away from me you’ll need to go much further than this…dirty little disgrace of a town.”

“I’m sorry you don’t like it, but you weren’t invited. You’re free to go when you please.” She said a little forcefully, she was terrified, but she couldn’t bare her mother ruining these kids’ lives in the same horrible ways she’d ruined hers. Betty would protect them regardless of what it meant for her. She made the tea, just like Alice had always liked and handed it to her.

“Are you pregnant, Elisabeth? Is that what this is about? We can take care of a mistake like that.”

“I’m not pregnant, mom. I just-“

“Of course not. You’d need to sleep with someone for that to happen. Honestly, Elisabeth, you’re not the first, nor the last woman to be raped, you have to get over it already.”

“I’m fine, thank you for asking. How’s the newspaper doing? Oh, really? That’s wonderful. Thank you so much for stopping by.” Betty rolled her eyes and no sooner had she done so that the sound of Alice’s palm against Betty’s cheek filled the room. At first, Betty didn’t feel it, it was the sound that brought back so many memories and Betty visibly shrunk, her shoulders caving forwards and inwards and a person she had tried to forget coming forward. “I’m sorry, mom.”

“You should be. You’re a disgrace. Look at yourself. Wearing _denim_. You look like you’ve gained at least ten pounds, your hands are a mess, you’re an embarrassment to the Cooper name.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t care. Fix it. Get rid of those…those… _children_.” She said with such disgust that it made Betty’s own stomach churn. “This is clearly not your house. You’ve always liked knick-knacks and useless items, so it’s clear whoever owns this place is doing well. Maybe he’ll be good enough since no real man of society would take you like this. You’re old, Elisabeth, and you’re used, don’t forget that, most of your value comes from name alone. Start thinking about how to clean up your act and become part of the family again.”

“No…” She finally said, looking up, her hands in fists so tight that her nails threatened the skin of her palms. “No. These kids need me. This is my family now, you used me and abused me and threw me around to men I had no interest in while I tried to deal with the darkest time of my life. What happened, mom? Polly finally told you she hates the news? She finally told you she’ doesn’t want to take over so now you have to groom me? This is it. This is what you get and these children are my life right now so too bad if you don’t like them. Get out of my house.”

“Elisabeth, how dare you speak to your-“

“Get out of my house!” She yelled, pointing at the door and getting up. “Now! If you want to talk to me again, you might want to change the way you do it.”

“You’ve always been weak.”

“Thank God, because if being strong is being like you, then I want nothing to do with it. Have fun in hell.”

“Elisabeth!”

“Out!” She yelled and with a huff, the woman turned and left, closing the door behind her.

Betty took a few breathes to push back tears and began moving up the stairs. She felt ashamed and as soon as she saw the kids, she felt dirty, what she imagined a bad parent must feel like because they all looked worried and scared and she just didn’t have it in her to say anything at all. Her lips parted, but she didn’t feel like an authority figure, so instead she looked at her feet and walked past them to her room, not _their_ room. As soon as the door closed behind her, Betty burst into tears and got in the bed trying to be the smallest of cocoons.

Not thirty seconds had passed that she felt rustling under the sheets and felt Theo’s little arms wrapping around her back.

“Please go to your room, Theo.” She asked with a sniffle and wiping her eyes, not wanting him to see her cry. He always followed direction, he was a sweet boy that way, but this time he shook his head and moved over her so they were both on their sides, faces close, his tiny arms in the strongest hug he could give.

“One time, my sister was crying and I didn’t hug her. She brought me here and then I never saw her again.” He said with a few tears of his own, “I don’t want to not see you again, Ms. Cooper.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Love. I’m just a little sad.” She tried to explain, wondering how much he understood about his sister’s suicide.

“It’s okay to be sad. I’ll hold your tears.”

She kissed his little forehead, trying to be strong for him, and finding peace slowly in sleep.

When Jughead got home that night he found everyone on the couch and around it with hot cocoa and two boards of scrabble he was sure he hadn’t owned earlier in the day. It strikes him how much the scene feels like family, but as he scanned every face in the room, he feels a pang of sadness at the missing face of his baby sister. It wasn't until he sat on the couch, next to a partially laying down Betty, cocooned in a thick blanket and grabbed her feet to put on his lap that he noticed her eyes were puffy and her hair up on a messy bun usually reserved for early mornings. He looked around again, not finding anymore missing faces.

“What’s this Scrabble party about, hmm?” He asked mostly the children before leaning over and pecking her cheek right as Lia begins to speak up.

“Ms. Cooper’s ma visited. She’s like Theo’s and Talia’s.” She said, and everyone around just nodded. Everyone knew Theo’s mother as a cruel woman, a woman who expertly tore down people with words until they regretted even being alive, at least, Theo’s sister had and a few years prior had completely given up. Jughead squeezed Betty’s leg and looked at her, worry clear in his eyes. She had never mentioned her family, he had always just assumed she came from a perfect one given his research, though now it dawned on him that if someone was writing news about themselves, they would hardly write bad things.

The night had gone mostly smoothly and the kids were happy about having Pop’s for dinner, given Jughead couldn’t really cook and had instructed Betty she was to do nothing but relax for the rest of the night. Later, they had been in bed, holding each other tightly when he decided to bring it up.

“Is she why you left?” Betty nodded.

“She’s the biggest reason.” She explained, unable to really go into it. “Jug…” She looked up at him, her eyes so sad and tired, she leaned forward and pecked his lips. “I know this is a lot, and I’m sorry if it is, and I understand if you want to leave me.”

“Bets, I wouldn’t leave you because your mom’s a royal bi-“

“I want to adopt Theo.”


	13. Venomous Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead hesitates about the adoption and Betty puts herself in danger to get what she wants. With fears of their possible incompetence as parents running deep, they talk and make some big choices. 
> 
> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**  
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -SMUT  
> -This chapter was a little tough to write and it's a little bit of an in-between I needed to start building up the next big thing, so I'm sorry...but I hope you like it! 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

“Betts, I don’t think Theo’s in the system, you can’t just…decide to adopt him.”

“He lives here, Jug, does his mother not realize he’s not around?”

“I don’t know, but it’s not something to take lightly, it’s not…an adoption is not like hosting the other kids, you can’t get rid of it.”

“I know that. Don’t you think I know that? It’s just…today he…” She sighed, “I understand if you want to break up with me, if it’s too much, too fast, I get it, Jug. I’ll move back, the house is nearly finished, I’ve been putting off the last touches but it’s nearly done and we can be happy there, Theo and Lia and Liam and I.”

Jughead moved a strand of hair away from her face and behind her ear with a sigh. A lot was going through his mind, but he had been thinking about children, and families, and if this was his chance, then he had to take it, it might not be conventional or perfect, but it’d be his-it’d be _theirs_.

“Betty, do you think that-“ He stopped, scrunching his eyes closed and trying to muster up the courage to ask. “Do you think you might ever be able to _love_ someone like me?”

Betty’s eyes widened and her eyebrows furrowed. “Jughead, you’re an idiot, you know that?” She asked in the sweetest tone imaginable and she saw him deflate, she saw him fight his emotions, and then, “I already love you, Jug. I have for a while now.” His eyes snapped up to hers and he waited a second, letting the words sink in and then his lips were on hers fiercely with bruising strength. Just those words were enough for him to imagine it might be possible to live his dream, and so, he asked.

“Betts….Theo’s going to need a dad, maybe I can adopt him too?” He was vulnerable and Betty didn’t think there was a more beautiful way to say ‘I love you too.’ Her lips crashed onto his this time, and Jughead’s hands found their way down her back, to her butt, pushing to bring her body flush against his.

“We have to ask him…do you think he’ll have us?” She asked between kisses, suddenly scared.

“Betts, of course he will, but we have a lot to figure out before getting his hopes up.” Jughead said, trying to take her job as the voice of reason. She nodded and between kisses and sweet mumbles they fell asleep holding each other, each falling into their own dream of a family starting to form.

Having made up their minds, both Betty and Jughead had felt a little out of sorts in the morning, as if having made a life changing decision might make everything change. Betty found security in the routine and Jughead in too many cups of coffee. She waited patiently, milling about, preparing what she could for lunch and cleaning a bit until everyone was gone, and then, she set off. Her mother’s visit had really shifted something in her, suddenly the questions she’d had before about becoming a mother weren’t questions anymore, the idea had cemented and she wanted to do this right, so, she got in her car and followed her GPS to the Wyrm.

She double checked she had her switchblade and pepper spray before getting out of the car and locking it. Maybe she should have told Jughead she was coming, but she was certain that he would have stopped her and she needed to do this.

The place was dimly lit, decorated as if a woman had never been taken into consideration, though there were several of them there and grabbing the strap of her purse with white knuckles, she headed to the bar where a pink haired bar tender in much less than what Betty would consider clothing smirked at her and shook her head.

“There’s another Bar on the Northside, it’s posh and pretty and they serve fruity drinks.” She said dryly.

“No thank you. I want to know who’s in charge here, I have to talk to someone in charge of the Serpents.”

“Who’s asking, Doll? You don’t seem like the type to join, we don’t go after cheating husbands, and we’re not interested in you saving us with Jesus.”

“Tell him Forsythe Jones sent me.”

“Who the fuck-“

“Please.” Betty said, remembering Jughead’s story, remembering his father had been caught, but surely someone else would know his name, someone would know she was here with good reason and good back up.

“Fine, what’s your poison?”

“Nothing. I just need to talk to him.”

The pink haired woman looked like she was tired of taking shit, she had a few scars on her shoulders and one on her face, she was pretty by general standards but she looked worn, as if at her young age she had lived through so much more than she should have. She moved about the bar, sent a text and in a few seconds there was the sound of a door closing upstairs. Betty looked and immediately swallowed and tilted her head.

There was something familiar about this man’s strut, his leather jacket looked heavier than any fabric should be, like it held the weight of the world. His hair was disheveled and dark, his eyes dull and challenging and the scruff on his chin made him look slightly unkempt, the circles around his eyes looked like they’d been fostered there for years and it wasn’t until the man was sitting besides her, facing her that she realized who she was talking to.

“FP.” The man spoke, holding out a hand. “What’s my dear son want from me?”

*** * ***

Jughead was at the shop when he got a text from a person he hadn’t spoken to in years. He ignored it at first and kept working, but something made him look at it, thinking there was no shame in it, nothing could really come from it, right?

_If your current pet is petite, blonde and likes pastel, she’s at the Wyrm talking to FP –Toni_

Jughead had to reread it several times before it made any sense at all and when it did he felt his heart drop to his stomach and his pulse pick up. He closed everything quickly and hoped on his bike, needing to get there as fast as he could, but by the time he had Betty was nowhere to be found and instead he found his father with a group of Serpents talking in quiet whispers, something that didn’t happen if there wasn’t something big brewing. Jughead didn’t care.

He walked up to the men, grabbing FP’s jacked and turning him, he had fire in his eyes and was ready to kill as many men as he had to to get answers.

“Where is she?”

“Hi, son.” Said FP unbothered by Jughead’s anger. “You have quite the friend in that young lady. Quite the perky blonde.”

“Where is she, you son of a bi-“

“Watch it. I’m still your father, and I’m still a leader who didn’t cower in a drive in.” FP pushed Jughead off. “She’s gone. Something about baking apple crumble. But she told us something interesting. Apparently two of your kids came here and got asked to deliver drugs to the school in exchange of payment.”

Jughead furrowed his eyebrows, the Serpents had never dealt and what was more, FP might have trained _him_ , but most children were absolutely off limits, he knew this.

“That’s the look I gave her. Like father like son, I guess.” He said, taking out a cigarette and putting it between his lips not lighting it. “We think those ghoulie scum are back, and I think they have our leather and are hanging around here somewhere when we’re not.”

Jughead pressed his lips together, this was bad news, terrible news, it meant there was an impending war and the Serpents didn’t even know who they were against or how many of them there were. He would have to think about this, if he was needed, he would have to join this war.

“Stay away from her, Dad. And stay away from our kids. I swear to you if any harm comes to the kids from either side I will make sure to burn all of Southside to the ground with everyone still in it. Do you understand?” Jughead’s tone was venomous and dangerous and FP knew better than to not take it seriously.

“I’m taking care of it, Jughead, you will know when there’s something to know.”

When Jughead had left the Serpents for good, his father had taken the reign again, but the truth was that more people still answered to Jughead because it had become obvious under his rule, that though reckless and dangerous, he only ever hurt bad people and was willing to put himself in the line to reach his goal of helping as much as he could. With that, he turned and left, not even glancing at Toni and heading home to make sure that Betty really was there.

She wasn’t.

*** * ***

“Thank you for having me. FP told me where you live.” She explained to the woman who had opened the door almost as soon as Betty had knocked.

“Right. I don’t owe them anything. What is it you want?”

“I’m here about Theo.” Betty started, but the woman scoffed. Betty had really hoped to find this woman wasn’t the monster people told her she was, but each second spent near her was spent proving all the horrid descriptions true.

“What’s he want now? I got nothin’ left for him. Keeps coming around here taking his sister’s crap. Took some stupid toy she’d had when she was born, that was the last of her. His sister killed herself, y’know? What a fucking prissy. All because I told her she was fat. She was. She ate too much, had cellulite on her legs. No man would fuck her let alone marry her. She was a slob. I hated her.” The woman shrugged. “Theo…Theo was no better. Know it all, always pretending he knew everything talking about school this, school that” She mocked, making Betty furious and nearly unable to keep quiet, gritting her teeth. “Pulling, pushing, _asking_ , it was horrible. I’m glad they’re gone. Anyway, he ain’t here and she’s dead. What do you want?”

Betty was ready to wring this woman’s neck like a handkerchief, but managed to keep her cool long enough to answer. “Who has custody of Theo, ma’am?”

“I fuckin’ do! He’s my son!” The woman yelled but then leaned forward, “I ain’t selling him to sex slavery for less than twenty thousand.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Betty asked, unable to stop her tone from sounding venomous.

“I told you my price. He’s my son, if you want to buy him I wont take less than that.”

“You’re selling Theo?” She asked, appalled and hurt.

“What the fuck else am I supposed to do with the little shit?”

Betty pursed her lips, Theo didn’t even spend time with his mother, why would she deem him a bother?

“I’ll adopt him.”

“Not for less than ten grand.”

“I’ll adopt him, not buy him and in turn I will sign the necessary paperwork for you to never again have any parental rights or responsibility. Right now, I could sue you for a whole lot of things, most of all _money_. For his food, his housing, his clothing, his schooling, you’re still his mother, legally you’re responsible.” Betty saw the blood drain from her face, sitting back and visibly sneering as if trying to get rid of Betty with a look. If you sell him, you’ll still owe child care expenses and child support and if whoever buys him gets tired of him, you’ll still get him back because it’s your name on his birth certificate, but I will sign whatever necessary for you to never have to see him again.”

The woman looked at Betty up and down with disgust and scoffed. “You too, you’re like my daughter was. You’re fat and not too pretty. I guess no men would want you either.” The woman spoke, sounding so much like Alice that Betty’s whole body wanted to close up but she stood her ground. “Fine. Bring the paperwork by in the next five days and he’s yours, otherwise, find yourself another good for nothing kid.”

Betty didn’t know what had happened, she certainly hadn’t planned to do anything like this, she had to talk to Jughead, she had to talk to Theo, she had to figure out if she was ready for this, if she really wanted it if-. She was driving without paying much attention to the road when her phone rang, bringing her out of her thoughts.

“Hello?”

“Betts, where the fuck are you?”

“On my way home, Jug. Are you okay? You sound frazzled.”

“I don’t know what fucking possessed you to go to the Wyrm but get here right the fuck now. I’m-I need to make sure you’re okay.”

Betty could sense he was trying to be nice when all he wanted was to yell at her, and she was thankful for that.

“Jughead…we have to talk.” She said, her mind still swirling with too much and unable to focus on any one thing, for the past week she had been thinking about babies and here she was with a very real opportunity to have a child all her own. On his side of the phone, Jughead felt like his life was about to be taken from him, nothing good ever came from those words, and so, what fell from his lips was painful and unplanned.

“Are you leaving me?” He sounded scared and had it not been for that Betty would not have realized the horrible mistake she’d made.

“No! NO! Jughead, I’m not…Jughead…” She hung up, parked like a mad woman and ran into the house. She smiled, waved, grabbed Jughead’s shirt and pulled him into the library and closing the door.

“What did I do? Actually, fuck that, what did FP tell you?” He said, not sounding convinced about her not leaving him at all. Betty walked up and down the library trying to find the words but when she couldn’t, she just plopped down on an arm chair and sighed.

“I spoke to Theo’s mother. We can adopt him as soon as we have the paperwork. I-we need to…I’m not…” She was slowly letting it all sink in, and it seemed Jughead would need time too. Good things didn’t happen to people like him, he thought, this was too good, too fast, surely there was a but coming, a storm brewing somewhere.

“We can have him?” Jughead asked, eyes wildly wide and unbelieving.

“If he’ll take us.”

“We should…”

“Yeah, we should.” She agreed. “Do we move him to the second floor?”

“I don’t know. Would it start issues with other kids?”

“I don’t know. We should…” Betty said,

“Yeah, we should.” He agreed.

It was that conversation where so much was said with so few words. They sat there in silence and shock for what felt like forever until Jughead’s stomach made an angry sound.

“Let’s go have lunch.” She said, snapping out of it but still unable to focus on much.

“What? Oh. Sure.” Jughead agreed and stood, “Let’s go for a picnic, I need some air.”

Betty frowned but nodded. Once she had a couple of sandwiches ready she started heading out. They walked slowly, sat on the grass where the sun bit their skin and they squinted to see one another, she sighed.

“Jug, it’s okay. I know it’s a lot, there’s no shame in you not wanting to go through with it. If you’re not ready that’s okay. Even if…I’m too much. I’m not stepping back, he deserves a proper family and I would be so, _so_ lucky to be that for him, Jug. I love you but we already figured out our lives and he deserves a better shot at it all.”

Jughead was staring at her, trying to come up with something to say, trying to explain where his mind was, but it was a lot. Just hearing her say she loved him gave him the chills still, it made him feel odd and undeserving and like she’d disappear any minute. He combed his hair back with his fingers, a nervous habit of his and sighed.

“Betts it’s just…a lot.” He said, trying to explain himself and she deflated, sadness wrapping around her and squeezing. “I never thought you’d even like me, let alone let me touch you, and much less _love_ me. ME. Do you understand that? And then the thought of having a child, adopted or not…It shouldn’t be daunting, we already have him, it’s just a lot. I could mess him up, Betts. You met my dad, I could hurt him or forget to pick him up after school or not be able to go to a teacher conference. I might yell at him, I might become a drunk, I might…I’m not going to be a good dad, I don’t even know what dads do, Betty!” He looked down to hide his eyes, but they were watering and sad as he gripped the grass under him. “I could break him and he’s the sweetest boy, I don’t want to hurt him.”

Betty moved towards him, trying to meet his eyes, and when he wouldn’t look at her, she straddled him. “Jug, look at me.” She said putting both of her hands on his cheeks and lifting his face to hers, kissing his forehead. “You don’t know my mother, but I’m also scared I’ll be like her. That I’ll pressure him into too much, that I’ll only ever see the bad in him, that I’ll hurt him, too.”

“You wouldn’t. You’ll be a great mother. It’s obvious by the way you treat all the kids, you changed your life for them, you made room in your heart for them you gave them a family, you’ll be such an amazing mother.”

“Here’s the thing…I’m terrified, but I know I’ll do my best. Do you know who else treats all the kids incredibly well? Who else changed their whole lives to help them? Who else made room in their heart and home for them, Jug? You did. You’ll be a great dad. And if you want to adopt him later, or not adopt him and just continue living how you are, that’s fine, there’s no shame in that. At all.”

“I want to do this with you.” He admitted in such a small voice that it was easy to imagine him as a child, scared of his father. She pecked his lips slowly, sweetly and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“You have to be sure, Jug.”

“I am….Does this mean we’re officially parents and should only have sex twice a year now?” He joked, needing just a little time to really let it all sink in.

“God, I hope not. I’m not really a huge fan of taking care of myself.” She smirked as Jughead began kissing her neck and biting her clavicle over her sundress.

“Too bad, I’d love to see that some time.” His tone was low and his eyes getting darker.

Betty blushed but didn’t say anything, meeting his lips with her own, biting his bottom lip sharply and yelping when he flipped them, laying her down on the grass and moving her arms above her head, holding both wrists with one hand and kissing her cheek, down her neck, his hips pushing against hers, letting her feel him through his jeans.

“Is this what you like, Baby?” he nibbled on her earlobe and she nodded, her breath hitching and a leg coming around him to hold him down against her as she rubbed up against him. He was starting to really, really like that she wore dresses almost everyday. “I want you to listen closely, Betty,” He said, punctuating this with a particularly hard grind, making her moan. “Stay away from the Serpents, stay away from FP. Stop getting yourself in dangerous situations…you’re going to be a mom, you can’t do that anymore.” Betty’s eyes softened and she reached up with her neck, her arms still held down above her and kissed him.

“I want you. Now.” She said instead of answering and that seemed to be enough to make him forget what he was saying. In seconds flat his pants were being kicked off and his hand was moving down her arms and her side, putting a hand on the small of her back and picking her hips up easily to angle them as he pushed inside her. They sighed simultaneously as Jughead bottomed out and Betty tightened around him. Sometimes she wondered why it had taken so long to get over her trauma if sex felt this good, but she’d never admit that she really believed she would have never been ready if not for him. He was it, he was the person she was meant to be with from her very first time-or at least what she liked to refer to as her first time.

“Fuck, Betty…how are you getting _tighter_?” He bit her neck, his body quivering as he tried not to move to give her time to adjust, but Betty had other ideas, humming and arching her hips just a little more and whimpering.

“Juggie,” She whispered, bumping his nose with her own, “Hold me down. Make me yours.”

“God-“ He said, pulling out until only his tip was inside her, “You’re…”he started to push back in painfully slowly, “So…fucking… _beautiful_.” He said when he bottomed out, finding a slow and steady rhythm that had them both panting in to time at all. In an out of body moment Betty picked up her leg, hooking it over his shoulder, glad for the yoga and the running and the stretching she was used to and Jughead’s hips actually stuttered into her. “Holy fuck, mother of god…Jesus Christ…” He managed, having to stop moving to stop himself from cuming right then and there.

“Juggie, _harder_.” She begged and after a few deep breaths he started moving again, this time harder, faster, making her moan and groan and whimper. She was being loud enough that he realized he should start taking lunches in the house rather than the shop, where they alone for acres and he could make her as loud as he wanted to. The sound of skin hitting skin was loud, but not louder than them. Jughead caressed her ass and up the leg on his shoulder while he plowed into her, her lips parted in screams, sometimes silent, sometimes not. He could feel himself losing control, so he angled his hips just so, hitting her spot over and over and over making her body start to quiver and tighten.

“Stop, stop….stop!” She yelled and he did, starting to pull away, afraid he’d hurt her when she dug her nails into his back through his shirt. “Wait…just…not yet. I want more. I need more.” His eyes widened and his hand moved between them, with him still buried inside her and fighting his body to stay still giving tiny, sharp thrusts as deep as he could go he pinched her clit, her body arching and pushing him even deeper. Jughead’s breathing was loud and hard and his teeth were clenched together as he tried desperately to keep control, but the way she was rolling her hips was driving him mad. He soothed her clit rubbing it a little and then pinching again, rubbing and pinching rubbing and pinching and then, out of the blue, moving his body a little further up to give his hand room, he slapped her clit and blew cold air between their bodies and he saw it, the exact moment ecstasy hit her, when her eyes rolled back and her orgasm hit her hard, her back arching even as she tried to hold it back, his name fell from her lips and then he began moving fast and hard again, using her orgasm as a platform for another, extending her ride into bliss pushing in and out of her even as she tightened impossibly around him.

“Come on, baby, come on…” he pounded into her and before she could even warn him another orgasm hit her and Jughead, now obsessed with making her cum as much as he could and feeling his own orgasm sneaking up on him. “One more, give me one more.” He growled, slapping her ass twice before he felt her body give in once more. She looked exhausted, she looked blissed out, and she looked ready for more.

“Juggie, f-fuck- again, _again!”_ She begged and he did, slapping her ass again and without warning pulling out completely and sitting back on his legs, cock in hand, pumping it slowly with one hand and clamping the base with the other to avoid cuming yet. “N-No…come back…Please…” she was writhing on the grass, her hand moving down her body between her folds rubbing only a little to gather moisture and brought her fingers up to his mouth. He licked her fingers clean, looking down at her, her hair fanned out over the grass, her chest rising and falling quickly, her dress bunched up around her middle, and it was only then he’d realized she hadn’t been wearing panties. She hadn’t been wearing panties when she’d sat in the library with him, or when she’d gotten out of the car, or when she’d spoken to Theo’s mom or…or when she’d spoken to FP surrounding by Serpents who loved taking what wasn’t theirs. 

A new, animalistic feeling took over him and raising his hand over her, he saw her eyes darken, expecting him, wanting him to and he did. Slapping down on her clit once, twice, three times, she was squirming and whimpering and biting her bottom lip, he pinched her and she yelled, her cunt red and hot, unable to take more and yet wanting. He reached for his cup of water, grabbed an ice cube that hadn’t melted completely yet and pressed it against her and her back arched so far from the ground, her cry would have worried him were she not panting and moving her hips against his hand, even holding the ice. He threw it on the grass, pushing his tongue inside her and using his cold fingers to rub her until she was cumming again. “I-Can’t…anymore. I want…Juggie…please…” He looked down at her, that feeling, that knowledge that anyone could have seen and touched what was _his_ took over. He got over her and pushed into her again, “FUCK YES! Don’t stop, Juggie!” he pushed into her harshly and this time, her orgasm came with the gift he was looking for, her spray hitting his shirt and he body with a loud moan as he came too, filling her with a sharp bite to her shoulder. Once they were both completely and fully spent, they stayed like that, her legs around his middle and his cock deep inside her as he softened slowly. With a grunt he kissed the bite and her neck and her lips.

“You’re beautiful, Baby.”

“Jug…do I get to call you ‘Daddy’ now?” She asked swiping her tongue over swollen lips, making Jughead grunt and twitch.

“Fuck, how do you do that? How can you make me horny even when I can’t get hard yet?” He pushed his hips forward with a grunt even if he was far from getting hard again having completely spent himself.

“Eat something…I’m not done with you yet.” She said in such a sultry tone that Jughead went slack-jawed understanding then that he wasn’t the one in charge at all. They fucked, hard and heavy twice more before they decided to head inside to shower before the kids got home.


	14. A Real Home, A Real Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jug talk to Theo and they're not expecting the response they get. Changes come quickly and they're not sure 
> 
> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**  
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -SMUT
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

“Am I in trouble?” The little boy in front of them asked sweetly, making Betty sigh.

“I’m not sure what it is about me asking to speak with you privately that makes you think you’re in trouble. All the kids think that, don’t you think that if you were in trouble I wouldn’t bring cookies for you?”

“No. You would bring cookies anyway.” Said Theo and Jughead laughed, squeezing her hand.

“He’s right, you would.”

“I would not!” She said, but felt defeated because well…yes, she would. “Anyway, you’re not in trouble.” She said and handed him another cookie, which he took with such amount of suspicion that she almost laughed.

“Why do you need to talk to me alone, then?” He asked and Betty squeezed Jughead’s hand. They were sitting next to each other with Theo in front of them, tiny legs dangling and swinging from the seemingly enormous arm-chair. Betty wanted to bolt, maybe they should have scripted this, maybe they should have decided who would talk and what to say and how to act and…

“Well,” Said Jughead, noticing her not-so-internal freak out. “We have something to ask you.”

“I don’t like quizzes! I like school but I don’t like quizzes.” He said with a pout and this did make Betty chuckle and exhale.

“Theo, Mr. Jones and I would like to know how you would feel about maybe being adopted.” She said, testing the waters first.

Theo put down the cookie and shook his head, hugging his knees to his chest, big eyes watering. “I don’t like that. If I get adop-teted then I have to live with new people. Was I bad? Why can’t I stay here?” He asked, pain clearly visible and that was absolutely not what Betty had intended.

“Come here, come on. You’re not going to live with anyone else, okay?”

“But if I get adop-teted then I have to.” He rubbed his eyes with tiny fists and then climbed right between them onto their laps.

“Hey, Little One.” Jughead kissed his forehead, “What Ms. Cooper meant to say is…how would you feel about us adopting you?” Betty looked at Jughead with absolute sweetness and tenderness, she had heard him speak to the kids this way before but it never stopped amazing her how someone who so many thought was so horrible could be so tender and sweet and caring and absolutely perfect.

“What?” Asked Theo, looking between them seemingly confused. “You want _me_?” He asked, tears in his eyes again a little finger pointing at himself, the question barely a whisper at all as if he was expecting them to take it back, to say they hadn’t really thought it through. Jughead and Betty both nodded, choked up and trying to be adults who didn’t cry…and failing. “You could be my family?”

Betty sniffled and nodded, “Nothing would make us happier.” Betty said, choking a little, her voice breaking. “Would you like us to be your family?”

Theo reached across Jughead and grabbed another cookie, giving it to her. “Cookies can always make you happier.” He smiled and kissed her cheek before looking at Jughead and with a shy, tiny smile kissing his too.

“Do I have to adop-ted you too?” He asked big eyes shining, trying to understand exactly what was happening.

“Of course!” Said Jughead, “Theo, if you want things to stay how they are, that’s okay, nothing has to change. But we really, really would like to be your family if you’ll have us.”

“Okay!” He beamed. “But on one condition!” Betty and Jughead looked at each other trying not to seem too worried about the blackmail a child might have on them. “I want to stay in my room. Please.” Betty burst into tears then and Theo patted her face. “It’s okay, Ms. Cooper! I would also cry happy tears if I adop-teted me. I’m a cool kid!” He said and Jughead laughed a wet laugh wrapping his arms around his new little family, though he sispected they'd been a family for some time.

That night, after the emotions had settled a bit, Jughead and Betty sat to talk about logistics and little rules they would have to be on the same page for, they decided, for example not to bring up titles, if Theo wanted to call them mom and dad, he would, but it was a lot of change for a kid so small, even as smart as he was, so they wouldn’t bring it up, letting him take his time. They talked about schools, extra curriculars, meals, and realized that they cared for all children as if they were their own so not much was changing except for the fact that once signed, the documents would prevent that horrible woman from ever taking Theo back.

*** * ***

It was mid morning on an uneventful Monday, cloudy with a chance of rain and the kids were in school. There wasn’t a party, there was no fantastical out of this world moment, there was no confetti or music or even family to congratulate them, there was nothing special about the way Jughead and Betty stood one side of a small table in a stuffy trailer facing a social worker and Theo’s monstrous mother. There wasn’t anything amazing or incredible or magical, and yet, the moment each of their pens touched the very last page of a contract too long but thorough for Theo’s sake, their lives changed forever. They looked at each other and smiled. Just like that they were parents.

“Want to go to Pop’s?” He asked while he drove them out of the trailer park.

“Can we get it to go? I want to go home.”

“Of course, Sweetheart.” He replied and with a smile she put her hand on his thigh as he drove. Jughead swallowed thickly and looked down at the proximity of her hand to him and then up at her face to check if it was just where her hand had landed, but she was smiling, her eyes were a little dark and she was biting her lip something she only ever did when they were alone.

“Let’s skip Pop’s.” He thought aloud and started heading home. The closer they got, the heavier Betty’s hand seemed, her fingers moving softly up and down his inner thigh making his squirm and use his free hand to rearrange himself.

“Are you okay, Jug? You seem a little flushed. Should I make you some soup?”

He turned onto the driveway, parked like maniac, and got out of the truck without dignifying her question with a response. He was around the car and opening her door before she did and as soon as she was out he pushed her against the truck and devoured her lips.

“You will not be making soup today. You’re going to get in the house,” His hands began moving down the sides of her body, past the hem of her short dress, “you’re going to take this little number off,” He began pushing his hands up her legs, lifting the dress along, “And you’ll get on the couch.”

Betty just nodded frantically feeling moisture pool between her legs. “Yes, _Daddy_.”

“Fuck.” He took a step back, turned her so her front was against the truck and spanked her once, “Go. Be ready when I walk in.”

Betty did as she was told, walking into the house and leaving a little trail, one shoe, then the other, her dress and her bra, but she didn’t go to the couch, instead she went directly upstairs, remembering what he had said a few days prior and deciding to give him a little gift. She was under the sheets of their bed, feet on the mattress a fingers between her folds rubbing at herself, slowly moving in and out of her when he walked in. “I told you to be on the cou-“ He stopped mid sentence his hard on visibly twitching in his jeans as he took in the sight. “Betty are you okay? You seem a little flushed, should I make you soup?” He teased and in one swift move pulled the sheets covering her so he could watch, making her hand pause and her legs close together shyly. “Don’t stop, Baby, let me see.” He said, eyes not leaving where her fingers were buried inside her.

Betty kept going, slowly parting her legs and rubbing her clit with wet, shiny fingers she’d just brought out of herself. She was watching his fact, and doing this for him was immediately worth the temporary discomfort. She pushed fingers inside herself again with a soft sigh-turned-moan. “Don’t stop.” He said again, taking a step closer to the bed, she had no intentions of stopping, not with the way he was looking at her, like she was the best meal he’d ever been offered.

He took off his shirt and let it drop on the floor, kicked off his shoes, toes off his socks, took off his pants. He’d started not really wearing underwear as a way to tease her, he had noticed how much she liked his happy trail, and if she was going to stop wearing underwear, which she had, well, then…it made sense that they both got comfortable teasing. Betty watched him shed his clothing, her body responding immediately and her hand starting to work her a little faster, a little more desperately. She had never thought about watching a man do this, and yet, when Jughead grabbed himself in hand and started pumping himself she couldn’t help but groan, her fingers stuttering inside her, making her eyes roll back with pleasure before she really, really went to town. She arched and spread her legs more, her feel pointed, toes barely touching the bed and her free hand moved up to pink a nipple. She wanted him to lose control, she wanted him to give in.

“Is this okay, Daddy?”

His fist stopped moving at the question, letting himself rest a few seconds before starting to pump himself again. “You’re so hot. Jesus Christ. I want you to cum watching me but you fucking tell me when you’re close, do you understand?”

She nodded and with those instructions, she let herself get lost in the act. Watching him intently as he climbed on the bed on his knees between her legs, her hand still working her his still squeezing his cock until it was nearly purple, pumping faster and faster in time with her pants and moans. Their fingers touched while they each worked themselves and somehow that was as hot as everything else they’d done, he could see her stretch around her fingers, he could see and hear how wet she was, it was absolutely enthralling and then-

“C-Close.”

“How close, baby?”

“Mmmmm-n-now…Can’t hold…I’m so…”

He pulled her hand away from her and pushed inside her with her fingers in his mouth, his tongue cleaning her fingers expertly, his cock pushing in harshly once before her thighs squeezed around him, her whole body shaking, satisfied and making his teeth grind together to stop from following the same path and coming undone already.

Jughead had spoiled her, Betty wasn’t a woman of one orgasm anymore, not unless they counted the quickies when the kids were still awake. The pantry, his office, the shower, they were enough to hold them over, but this was where they excelled, taking their time, pushing their bodies as far as they would go.

“M-move…please.” She begged but he only thrust a tiny bit, wanting her to feel him fully inside her, not pulling our a single centimeter. “Please,” She said again, and when he didn’t, she began grinding up on him, using her hips to move against him, her hand going right back to her clit but he grabbed it and moved it down to the bed. Her body was moving against his as well as she could from that angle, and Jughead wasn’t moving at all.

“You like riding me like this, Baby?” She didn’t reply, so he licked his fingers and slapped her clit sharply, making her gasp and moan. “Do you. Like. Riding me?” he asked again.

“I always like you inside me, I want you always, I need you to move, god…”

He pulled out of her so slowly her body actually shivered in anticipation and before she knew it he slammed back into her, her hand moving to the headboard to avoid hitting her head.

“Like that?”

“Fuck yeah! Yesssss…like that”

Jughead got off his knees then, covering her with his body and combing her hair away from her forehead, taking her lips in the most tender and careful of kisses, changing their rhythm completely, moving slowly now, wanting to take care of her in a way he seldom did. They were explosive together, always wanting more, trying things Jughead had always wanted but had never thought anyone would trust him enough to do. It was sexy, it was strong and hard and connected them in a way he’d never felt connected to anyone before. But this, smooth and soft and slow was so much more.

Their breathing hitched, the air around them filled with sighs and gasps. Betty wrapped completely around him, holding him closely, their lips meeting time and time again speaking words he hadn’t shared with her yet. They moved in unison, caressing, holding, bringing one another to the edge and holding on for the sake of staying close. It was Betty who brought it all to an end, whispering a simple ‘I love you’ and bringing Jughead and herself over the edge, holding each other, shaking with the intensity of the moment.

“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered and pecked her lips again, “You’ll be the best mother.” She teared up and put her hands on his cheeks, wanting this moment to last forever.

Jughead pulled out of her and fell to the side, her body immediately draping over his, legs intertwined, face on his chest and a finger making idle circles on his abs.

“We can’t ever lock the fridge.” She said out of the blue, it was so quiet and random that first Jughead thought he hadn’t heard right, but he asked anyway.

“Why would we?”

“My mom used to…If there was an event coming up or something I was only allowed a piece of fruit at night and a yogurt in the morning and tons of water to keep me acceptably thin. I don’t want him to ever be hungry. I didn’t like having to hide food in my room.”

Jughead took a few deep breaths not to let it show how horribly he felt before answering. “We’ll never do something like that, Betts. The kids will never be hungry here.”

“Okay.” She said and sighed with relief.

“We wont ever hit them or insult them or tell them they’re…you know, useless, and bad and a waste of space.”

“No, we wont. Not ever.” She understood this didn’t come from nowhere, they were probably words said to him by his father but she knew better than to ask.

“Okay. “ He answered with own relieved sigh.

“We’re parents.” She smiled and looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“Yeah, we are.” He smiled right back and kissed her with tenderness he only ever seemed to show her and the kids.

“Hmmm…I like your lips, _daddy_.”

“Jesus fuck, come here!” He said and got on top of her to the sound of her giggles, glad it was Monday and the shop was closed, no need to go back for the afternoon. They enjoyed themselves and each other most of the day, only taking short breaks to breathe and refuel.

*** * ***

Theo had been kept as much in the loop as such a young child could be, he knew that today they would try to adopt him and he had chosen to go to school, so it was natural that as soon as he came in, he ran to Betty stretching little arms up and as soon as he was being picked up whispered in her ear.

“Did you Adop-teted me? Am I yours now?”

Betty beamed and nodded, Theo had made them promise he would get to tell the other kids, so she didn’t want to say much and break that promise. Theo kissed her cheek and hugged her so tightly he almost left her without air.

“Down!” He demanded and with a chuckle she did just that only to watch him run straight to Jughead and stretch his arms up and go through the same thing again. Betty watched, her heart warm and fussy.

“Esscuse me! Esscuse me everyone! Esscuse me!” He announced and Betty immediately felt worried. A lot of these kids deserved better families, in fact, they all did and she was worried that knowing they had adopted one of them would make everyone else feel lesser which wasn’t their goal or intention, obviously.

“I love you all.” Said Theo, “and I’m happy we’re a family.” Betty bit her bottom lip, feeling her heart swell. “And Ms. Cooper and Mr. Jones adop-teted me but nothing changes. Nothing changes, right?” He looked at the adults who agreed. “Because we’re all a family and I want to be a family forever. Okay?” Some of the kids looked around but nobody said anything until Theo spoke up again, “Please? If you don’t want to be my family I can tell them to not adop me.” He said with tiny tears in his eyes. Lia and Liam were the first to get up and go hug him, whispering something in his ear that made him smile and slowly all the kids ended up in a huge hug.

“Hey, kiddos,” Jughead spoke up, “This really changes nothing. Theo’s right, we are a family. A great one and we’ll still be there for you and everything you need. If you have any questions or want to talk to us, you always can. Always, always, always.”

“NOT ALWAYS!” Said Theo and scrunched his nose. “Sometimes I have questions and you kissing Ms. Cooper. It’s icky!” Everyone laughed. It really was much smoother than Betty had expected this to go down, she had expected tons of questions and worried little eyes wondering about the future, but the fact that there weren’t any meant they had built a place where they all truly felt safe and loved.


	15. A Place for Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adjusting to being a family comes easy, but Betty doesn't rest and she goes out of her way again to do something she shouldn't for Jughead. Will it all blow on her face?
> 
>  **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**  
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

The great thing about weekdays was that Betty was able to get her blog in order during the day between shopping and cooking, but for once, her focus was on something else completely. She was going through Jughead’s desk, glad he didn’t lock his office, rummaging through drawers, papers, lists, calendars, letters, and finally found what she was looking for. She took a picture with her phone, put everything back as she had found it and with nerves eating her from the inside out left the office to go sit outside, staring at the number on her phone and dialing.

“Hello? Is this…oh. Good. Well, my name is Betty, I’m Jughead’s girlfriend and I would like to meet you. No please wait! Please don’t hang up. I’m willing to drive to New York, I’m willing to meet you wherever you want. He doesn’t know I’m calling it’s just…there are some changes I think you deserve to know about. Please. Thank you! Thank you so much! You will? That’s wonderful! Thank you.”

*** * ***

Betty sat at Pop’s as planned on the last booth to the left, sipping her strawberry milkshake and trying not to wring her hands together too harshly feel sick, her stomach twisting each time he smiled at her because she knew she didn’t deserve it, not while she hid things from him. Each time the bell at the door chimed, she’d look up but so far, the person she waited for hadn’t walked in. She checked her phone, forty-five minutes late, maybe she’d been stood up but Betty promised to wait, and she would, she was doing the right thing, she just hoped it would all work out.

“Betty?” Apparently, she’d been too lost in her own world to hear the door that time and no sooner had her name been spoken that she got up with a smile and stretched out her hand.

“Nice to meet you, wow…you’re really beautiful.” She blushed, her eyes widening as the words left her mouth, but the woman in front of her didn’t seemed too impressed. “Would you like something to eat?”

“Flatery will get you nowhere with me, food on the other hand…. I’m starved.”

Betty couldn’t help but smile at that, sitting back down and watching JB take the seat across her. “You’re so much like him.”

“I hope that’s not true, what does he want? Did he send you to ask me for something? I have nothing to give and even if I did I wouldn’t even consider it.”

Betty shook her head, she felt deflated at the animosity and looked at the beautiful long, black waves and striking blue eyes, she really was just like him and so different at the same time. She seemed less worried, she didn’t have as many small lines and she didn’t have scars. She looked, Betty thought, the way Jughead would have had his life been easier and that thought made her heart hurt.

“He really doesn’t know.” Betty tried to explain right as a waitress approached them. They ordered quickly, both wanting to get to the real issue at hand, the conversation that had to be had. “I don’t think he would have let me contact you, actually, if I had brought it up.”

“Look, you seem nice enough, Betty, you really do, you seem normal, too, but I don’t owe him anything and I don’t want to ever see him again, so whatever you’ve got to say, I don’t know, he needs a kidney or has cancer or something, I don’t care.” They were harsh words, but there was something else, a look in her eyes she’d seen in Jughead’s too, she was shielding herself from pain by being harsh and though Betty understood self-preservation, she wasn’t about to give up easily. Betty had the length of a meal to convince her, and if she ate like Jughead, that wasn’t long at all.

“Oh…wow.” She furrowed her eyebrows, “Jughead’s fine, actually, knock on wood.” She knocked on the table, “Do you really want him dead? I’ve only ever heard his version of the story and I’m not one to take anyone’s word for granted, would you tell me yours?”

“Look, there isn’t a version, and no offense, but this isn’t your business.”

“I know it’s family matters, but I deserve to know who I’m dating, and I really would like to know what happened, if you’d tell me.”

“Fine. Because girl power and all that crap. It’s easy and simple. One day he was there and the next he wasn’t, some strangers took me and left me in a house with other strangers who turned out to be great people, they adopted me, loved me, gave me the world. But _he_ never came for me. He never cared. He was my world and he never so much as looked, Betty. So maybe you shouldn’t make him your world, because people like him, _Serpents_ they always chose the life over family.”

“That’s not…JB can I tell you his version?”

“I don’t want to hear it, I don’t care what petty excuse he had, I don’t care, Betty. I’m sorry, like I said, you seem nice enough, but nothing you can say will make it any better.”

Betty bit her lip right as the food came, she didn’t have long, so she looked down at her plate, pushing it aside and telling her anyway, if JB didn’t want to listen, she would leave, but Betty wouldn’t give up. “Jughead knew who you were with. He knew where you lived.”

“That’s worse! That’s fucking worse, do you understand that?” JB took a deep breath, looked out the window to calm herself and then started again in a more even tone. “He knew and he never came. My brother never cared about me or about what would happen or-Fuck him. I never needed him anyway.” She popped a fry into her mouth, but she didn’t look like she didn’t care, she looked hurt.

“Maybe.” Betty spoke softly, pursing her lips. “But he needed you. When he found you he wanted to go see you but…he told me he used to sit across the street at seven thirteen sharp to watch you and your new parents have meals and laugh and pray. He thought that if he showed up he’d be taking away your chance at a better life.”

“What?” Jellybean looked awestruck, it was the specificity of the time that made JB’s heart fall to the pit of her stomach, they did sit at seven thirteen, prayed for exactly two minutes and then ate. She stared at Betty with wide eyes, quietly picking at her food seemingly unable to eat with this new information. JB sat back and sighed, popping another fry into her mouth merely for something to do and cracked, if just a little.

“We did pray.” She said, so low it was almost a whisper, as if she was sharing a secret unshared ever before. “We prayed every night that he would show up. They would have adopted him, but he ran away from the foster home and child protective services never gave enough of a fuck to look for him. My parents-adoptive parents- didn’t want to separate us.” She tried to explain. “He was everything to me, and he left m-“ She shook her head. “He did it for me?”

“He did a lot for you, JB. He did a lot for you. He was just a kid but he skipped meals so you didn’t have to. The day you were taken he’d gone to find work.”

“That’s not possible, he was a kid, he couldn’t have…” JB looked away, using a napkin to wipe her eyes, she didn’t want to believe it, but she remembered enough to know that was exactly who his brother was. She remembered him pushing FP down on the couch when he got home drunk, he remembered Jug promising to never join the Serpents, she remembered her brother giving her the bed when she got big enough and sleeping on the floor, she remembered asking why he never ate and him saying he just wasn’t hungry even as his stomach growled and in her anger she had never doubted he’d been evil even with all the memories proving otherwise. Her parents may have given her the world, but he had made it possible and all she’d done in return was avoid him like the plague she’d thought him to be. “Why now? Why did you come looking for me now?”

“Because you have a nephew. We adopted a little boy called Theo. He’s…he’s love personified, but he lost his sister when he was very young. I don’t have any family that would ever come see us and neither does Jug. Theo deserves a family, and you’re his aunt.”

“I have a nephew?” Her tone was so hopeful that it made Betty wonder if she’d ever thought it possible. “I thought he’d be dead by now. I look at the obituaries every damn day hoping not to see his name. I don’t…even answer to his letters or cards, but I keep them because I know one day they could stop coming.”

“He’s fine, he wasn’t for a long time but he is now, and he misses you.”

“Do you have a picture of Theo?”

Betty brought out her phone, starting to feel hopeful and showed JB the endless pictures of Theo, Lia, Liam and all the other kids.

“Who are they?” She asked about the kids and Betty remembered Jug telling her JB had only stayed with him a single day before disappearing for good.

“Jughead built a third floor, it’s…basically dormitories for kids who aren’t safe at home. We take care of them, love them, help with homework, feed them…” Betty explained.

“He didn’t tell me when I stayed but…I didn’t want to be there. When my parents found him they said I should give him a chance, I didn’t. I should have listened but I thought he’d abandoned me. I thought-”

Betty reached for her hand and squeezed, it was clear that they hadn’t really made amends, but all that could be fixed now, time lost couldn’t be retrieved but they had time to be a family again that meant something. Betty let her go through the pictures for a long time until there were none left to look at and then, the question came.

“He’s adorable. Could I meet him?” It felt like bliss knowing this was working, knowing maybe she could give Jughead the best of gifts.

“I’m hoping you will.” Betty smiled and put her phone away, Jelly’s eyes were watery but no more tears fell.

“I cried every night. For years I cried every night, begging for him to find me. Praying…and then I just got angry. If he wasn’t looking for me, then screw him, you know? I’d hate him too.”

“He needs you. Honestly? I don’t even know you but I need you too. It would be nice to have a sister again.” Betty blushed and looked at her untouched food.

“You lost her?”

Betty shook her head. “I didn’t want to join the family business. I haven’t been officially disowned yet, but I will be.” This, JB understood because FP had always been brutal with Jughead about joining the Serpents something he’d never wanted to do, he had beaten him and yelled and called him the worst possible things, JB remembered that, too, just like she remembered the day FP had tried to hit her and Jughead got in the middle only to get pushed so hard that when he hit the wall his body just crumbled to the floor unconscious. He had been a child. She understood that now, back then he had seemed so big, her older brother, but he wasn’t and he had done it all for her. As memories she’d locked away flooded back, she felt more and more compelled to see him again, to allow herself to need him again.

“He’s so stupid.” She sniffled. “He’s so stupid and I miss him, and I can’t believe he…he really didn’t eat?”

“He loves you, JB. He’s only staying away to give you space.”

“Can I meet him today? Theo? I don’t think I can stay in town too long but maybe…it’s time I start making time.”

Betty smiled and nodded, it all felt surreal, big and monumental, but if Betty knew one thing, it was that they all deserved a good reunion.

“Let’s go.”

*** * ***

It was odd for Betty to read a story before dinner and without him making voices and faces, but when Jughead walked in that night, that was exactly what he found. He leaned on the doorway, looking at the sea of faces as he often did, ready to feel that daily pang when he realized there was one face missing. This night, however, it didn’t come, instead his eyes landed on a woman, a messy dark braid clearly made by the girls over her shoulder, sitting cross-legged, holding Theo who was using the tip of the braid as a mustache. Jughead, unsure of what he was seeing, straightened up, unable to move or speak, his nostrils flaring as he tried to keep himself and his emotions in check. The dark haired woman turned her bright blue eyes towards Jughead and winked at him right as the story ended. He was sure he was seeing things.

Betty turned to look at him as she closed the book and set it down besides her, he was still standing there like a statue a small smile growing bright as the realization hit him while JB put Theo on the floor, most of the kids starting to move to the table, setting it and getting it ready for dinner.

JB walked slowly towards him but as soon as she was close enough, she pulled him into a hug. It took several seconds for Jughead to really react and understand what was happening, but as soon as he did, his arms went around her, too and they embraced in a bone-crushing hug that only siblings could ever share, making JB let out a sob and a sniffle she’d been trying to avoid.

“How many times did you read me that story, Jug?” She whispered in his ear, referring to the story she had chosen for the kids that night. “Congratulations on your son.” Jughead put his hands on her shoulders, holding her and taking a small step back to look at her up and down, grown up, beautiful and with all the pride of a father, pulled her into another hug, still unable to speak. They only broke apart when Theo pulled at his pants to get attention.

“I think she’s nice. She has a pretty name. I like Jellybeans!” The little boy declared, “She said she’s your sister, I think it’s good she came back.” He bit his bottom lip, his eyes getting a little tearful suddenly, “Is Talia coming back, too? Do I have to wait until I’m old like you?” His eyes were so big, begging to be told his sister would come back and the other kids, having heard, left the table and mobilized without being told to, they all knew about Talia, all of Southside knew, but Theo was too little to really understand. Some go upstairs to look for his favorite stuffed animal, his sister’s elephant, others grab cookies from the kitchen and while this is all happening, Betty gets up unsure of what she will say when Jughead picks Theo up instead and kisses his cheek.

“Talia is here with you every night. She’s the brightest star in the sky, she’s there so she can make sure that you’re always safe. Want to go find her?” Theo gives the tiniest of nods and rubs his eyes with his sweater as tears begin to stream down. Jughead and JB head outside, followed by Betty only after she makes sure everyone is okay and sitting for dinner. She served them all and sat with them, giving the siblings time and once dinner was over, most of the kids headed to bed while some joined them outside they lying down on the grass looking at stars and trying to count them.

Theo cried quietly, but it wasn’t hysterical at all, instead they were tiny little sobs of realization that his worst fear was coming true. Each tiny sob shook his whole body and he talked to the stars, asked them if Talia was okay, told her he loved her and missed her and that his new family would love her, too. It broke every heart in the vicinity, but the conversation seemed to help eventually calming him down enough for him to wipe his eyes with the heel of his hand and his nose with his shirt. He stood then, from having been lying on the grass and moved to sit on JB’s stomach with a sigh, surprising everyone.

“I think Talia sent you. She can’t be here but you’re going to be the bestest aunt because Mr. Jones is the bestest…umm…Mr. Jones. Did you know that he put a baby in Ms. Cooper’s Belly?”

“He what?” Asks JB, laughing quietly making the little boy on her stomach vibrate and giggle.

“I’m not pregnant, Theo.” Says Betty from where she’s sitting with her hands behind her holding her in place.

“You have a baby in your belly.” He says again with authority. “Will the baby call you Ms. Cooper, Ms. Cooper?”

“There’s no baby. But if I ever have a baby, he or she will probably call me Mom or Mommy.” She explains sweetly and watches his face change as thinks.

“Oh. Okay.” He sighs, tiny eyebrows furrowed in deep thought, yet another look he stole from Jughead. “Ms. Cooper?”

“Yes, Baby.” She smiled at him, the night breeze feeling wonderful against her skin, the love surrounding them like a blanket and Jughead staring at the sky, listening but keeping quiet to see what happens.

“Can I call you mom?” His voice was so small she almost missed it, and the breeze that brought her the most wonderful words she had ever heard gave her goosebumps as she started crying. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I wont do it. My other mom didn’t like it either. It’s okay! I’m sorry! Don’t cry Ms. Cooper, please don’t send me back.” He rambled, scared, but Betty had gotten up and plucked him from his seated position on his aunt’s stomach and hugged him, kissing his cheek and his forehead and holding him like he was the angel that he was.

“It would make me sososososososososososososso happy for you to call me mom, Little One.”

“Really?” He giggled, always quick to jump back from emotion, even something as deep as this.

“Really, really, really.” She nodded and kissed him again, which Theo used as an opportunity to whisper in her ear. “Can I call Mr. Jones dad?” He asked her, tiny arms wrapped around her neck.

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“Mr. Jones?” Jughead looked up at the little boy, he’d been listening, of course, but he wasn’t expecting to be asked. Theo had bonded with Betty so quickly, and he loved her so much. Jug was a little hurt at the thought of not being asked, and having not heard the whisper he didn’t know what to expect, maybe another jab about a non-existent baby in Betty’s belly. “Can I call you dad?”

Jughead stared with wide, amazed eyes, the simple, innocent question sending him into tears too. It was all too much.

“Of course you can! Come here!” He jumped up pulling Betty and Theo into a huge, family hug, which Theo somehow manages to writhe away from to run to JB, who was now standing and looking at two grown adults be reduced to snot and tears by a little boy and a question.

“AUNTIE!” He said urgently. “Mommy and Daddy are crying! Fix it!” He seemed really upset by this, pointing at Betty and Jughead with wide, scared eyes, so JB picked him up and kissed his cheek.

“They’re just very, very happy. They didn’t think you would love them this much.” She tried to explain.

“That’s stupid!” he said with authority that no child should be able to show. “Wait! Don’t tell them I said that word!” He added, tapping his tiny hand on her lips to keep her quiet and she nodded.

“Your secret’s safe with me. Why is it stupid?”

Because! I always loved them THIS much!” He extended his arms as wide as he could manage and JB laughed.

“Alright, I think it’s late. Time for bed, and tomorrow I’m taking you out for ice cream!”

“Ice cream! I looooove ice cream! With Jelly beans! But I don’t love it more than mommy and daddy. I think they love me too.”

“Of course they do. You’re the bestest son in the world!” JB agreed.

“I am? I mean, of course I am!” JB laughed right as Betty and Jughead began finally getting themselves together.

“I’m taking him to bed,” JB agreed, “and then I’m coming back to have some tea and talk. We have a lot to talk about, Big Brother.”

Jughead, unable to deal with so many damned emotions in only one day only nodded and watched her go, pulling Betty into a kiss that was all fire.

“Thank you. Thank you for Theo, thank you for JB, thank you for being mine. Thank you for changing my life, thank you.”

“Thank you too.” Betty said with a small smile, feeling mentally and physically exhausted and glad it was a Friday, which meant the next day she could sleep in a little.

“Maybe we should practice ‘putting a baby in your belly’” He joked, but they were still too wrecked with emotions to fully laugh. “Bets, I don’t know how you got her to listen but…” He looked away and she understood, author or not there were no words for this, so instead she pulled him into another kiss, tender and soft and he melted into it, only pulling away when JB chuckled from the door.

“Theo told me to close my eyes because you’d be kissing and it was icky.” She smirked. “The kid knows his stuff.” She said and Jughead did something he hadn’t done since the day she’d been taken away, he stuck his tongue out at her. It was that one childish reaction that sent them into another bone crushing hug full of tears and apologies.

“I missed you, Jelly.”

“I know.”


	16. A Changing Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for JB to go, but she doesn't leave without shocking Jughead with news and an offer he wasn't expecting. Betty has a secret and doesn't know what to do with it. While she freaks out, Unaware and oblivious, Jughead does his best to take care of her as best he knows how to get her to feel better as soon as possible, worried for her well being. 
> 
> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**  
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -SMUT AHEAD!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

“Get out of the way, you slug!” JB yelled at Jughead, making the kids laugh as she ran to the slip-n-slide he’d built them and threw her body down on it, traveling the full length. Everyone was happy and laughing and it made her heart swell with happiness and pride. It was JB’s last day in Riverdale, she had to go back to school, but she had promised to come back as much as she could and Betty and Jughead had talked about maybe taking a trip, but they had to figure out how to do that with all the kids still needing them at home to continue their routine.

She was watching from the shade, sitting on a pretty lawn chair and taking deep breaths when Jughead approached her and kissed her forehead, she smiled, leaning up onto the sweet touch, even if he was completely soaked through.

“How’re you doing?” He asked her, rubbing her back.

“Still gross. I’ll get better, it’s probably something I ate.” She shrugged. “I think I’m going to go inside with the air conditioning and take a nap.”

“Okay, darling. Feel better.” He pecked her lips sweetly to whistles and a chous of “Eww!”

“Please make sure they all get dry and change out of their bathing suits. And then feed them, there are hot dogs, you can make hot dogs, right?”

“I’ll take care of it. Go rest, Baby.”

“I love you.” She got up slowly, fighting her dizziness and began moving indoors, Theo’s words from a few days ago suddenly popping into her head, but she pushed them to the back of her mind, knowing it was impossible, it was probably just something she’d eaten, right? She took out her phone and opened the app she used to track her cycle, she was a few days late, but nothing too bad, and she took the pill every single day, so it wasn’t possible. Simply not possible. She sighed and let her body drop on the bed, but no sooner had her head touched the pillow that she ran to the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach, which were tea and saltine crackers.

“Fuck.” She washed her face, brushed her teeth and went to bed.

*** * ***

“Dad?” Theo pulled on Jughead’s swim trunks, making Jughead have to grab the waist band so they didn’t slide any lower.

“Yea, Squirt, what’s up?” He leaned down, picking up the little boy. Since the night JB had come back he’d been full of questions about Talia and Jughead had navigated them as much as he could with the help of Betty, wanting to be honest but not give him more information than he could take at his young age. He seemed to be doing well, because Theo didn’t tear up every time he brought her up anymore, which was a step up. Tears were expected, and sometimes they still came, but not as much and not as hysterical anymore.

“Does auntie Jelly really have to go?” He asked with big eyes and his lip between his teeth, something he’d taken from Betty.

“Yes, she does, she had to go back to school.”

“Oh.” He chewed on his lip thoughtfully before speaking up again, “I don’t want her to go.” He frowned and Jug frowned too.

“Me neither. But she’ll be back, she’ll visit us, you’ll see.”

“I know, but it’s going to be a looooong time and I want to get ice cream tomorrow!” He said, making Jughead laugh and shake his head. “She tells me stories of when you were little.” Theo whispered and put his little hand on Jughead’s lips, “She told me not to tell you but you’re my dad so I have to tell you but don’t tell her that I told you because I wasn’t supposed to tell you. But I had to tell you. Because you’re my dad.”

Jughead’s eyes lit up every time Theo called him that, he had a feeling Theo was catching on to that because when Jug said he couldn’t do something he would just ask again with the word ‘dad’ at the end and Jug would usually cave. He was still dealing with understanding that this really was his life, that he really was the luckiest man on Earth, deserved or not. He licked Theo’s hand to get the little boy to take it off his mouth, and succeeded when Theo yelled “EWWWWW!” with a giggle that was the sweetest, best sound Jughead had ever heard before and wiped his hand on Jughead’s chest.

“I guess I’ll have to tell you stories of when she was little too.” He winked making Theo laugh happily his eyes sparkling with mischief at the thought of knowing something he shouldn’t.

“Daddy.” He said suddenly, brows furrowed and tone serious putting both hands on his cheeks and looking into his eyes, “Why is mommy sick? She’s supposed to be here playing with us.”

“Sometimes adults get sick too, and she has to rest.” He said.

“Well, I don’t like it.”

“I know, Little One, me neither.”

“Okay! I want to go play again.” He said pointing at the ground and Jughead shook his head.

“Sorry, no can do.”

“DOOOOOWWWWWN!”

“Nope!”

“Daaaaaaad!” He whined and then caught on, wrapping his arms around Jughead’s neck and giving him a wet kiss on his cheek. “Pweeeeeeeaaaaaaase?”

“Better.” He put Theo down and watched him run away only to turn back and run to him again. “I love you.” Theo told him quickly and then ran off again to play with the sprinklers and laugh with the other kids.

“Hey,” JB put a hand on his shoulder, looking out at the kids playing happily. “Do you ever wonder what life would be like had they not taken me?”

“Yeah, I do. But I’m glad they did. You’re going to Columbia, Jelly, that’s…I’m so proud of you.” He looked at her and sighed, “I’m going to miss you.”

“Not too much, I’ll be Skyping every other day with my nephew and my new best friend who just happens to have dirt on my brother, you see, so I’m coming to screens near you!” She joked and he smiled. “Actually, I’d like to ask you something, I already talked to Betty about it, but she said it’s your call to make, so…” She shrugged and this caught his attention. Betty hadn’t given him a single damn choice since she’d moved in, she’d broken all his rules, forced him to want her and then fall in love with her and really, he wouldn’t have it any other way, he was whipped and he loved it.

“That’s…interesting. What’s up?”

“My adoptive parents are moving to Florida. They were older when they got me, so it’s time.” She pressed her lips together, “The thing is…Florida is an outdoors type of place and I’m…”

“Like me, allergic to the sun?” He lifted a knowing eyebrow and she nodded with a chuckle.

“They kick us out of the dorms between semesters, and the holidays suck on campus, so I was wondering if maybe…I mean, I know you have a whole family now and it’s a whole thing, but maybe if my room is still here, maybe I could…I don’t know, maybe…”

“Stay, JB, the word you’re searching for is ‘stay’. You got into Columbia with that vocabulary?” He mocked and she stuck her tongue out at him.

“So…could I?”

“Stay? Are you stupid? The room literally has your name on it, who the fuck else do you know named Jellybean? I swear to god if you don’t come visit and stay here I will decapitate you and then bring you back to life only to yell at you.”

“Seems fair.” She nodded, smiling stupidly and hooking their arms together, resting her head on his shoulder. “Jug…I’m proud of you too. This is…nobody else would have done this. Look at them, think of where they’re going home to when do go back, you know? They deserve a childhood and you’re giving it to them. I’m very proud of you.”

“I’ve done some shit, JB, I don’t deserve that.”

“I think you do. You’re too hard on yourself. You’ve done something nobody else has ever done for this town. You got in trouble? You made bad choices? So fucking what? Look at them, Jug. Just…look at how happy they are. Holy shit, Jug, you’re a _dad_.”

“Yeah…” His smile reached his eyes, it really was a sight, all these kids running around the yard, laughing and splashing and living lives they deserved under the bright sun and not in dark trailers taking care of drunk, abusive parents. “You really have to go today?”

“Yeah, I have class tomorrow at eight.”

“Gross.”

“You have no idea. The professor doesn’t even want to be away, we all spend the first ten minutes sighing and drinking coffee, and the other forty debating literature. You know there’s this really cool author on the Syllabus, you might have heard of him, he has a fucking terrible name, but the writing is alright…Forsythe Jones III, heard of him?”

He turned to her so quickly his neck cracked, “What? Really?”

“Totally. The professor asked for good recommendations and I might have dropped off your first book. I bet he’d love to have you come speak to the class, plus I’d totally get extra points for that.”

“I’ll talk to Betty about it, but I don’t know if I really want to leave her with all the kids right now, especially Theo, he’ll assume I’m gone, you know he will and I can’t do that.”

“Okay, just think about it, okay?

“I will, I will. I’ll think about it.” He smiled and squeezed her shoulder keeping her close.

“Betty’s still not feeling well?”

“Yeah, I’m worried. She’s been up and down all week, I’m worried it was the stress of going to the Wyrm and all that.”

“She went to the Wyrm? Go Betty! Did she…did she see dad? Have you spoken to him? Does he know about Theo? How-“ Jughead held a hand up to stop her line of questioning, it was a lot and he hated talking about FP and overall being reminded of the man’s existence on the planet.

“Yeah, she did and I don’t want her to go there ever again. She did speak to dad, but he wont tell me what was said besides…some stuff about the kids. There’s something up, Jelly, I think there’s another gang war brewing and I’m…fuck, I’m terrified.” Jellybean just nodded, she hadn’t experienced all of that nearly as much as Jughead had, but she knew it was scary, especially with kids around.

“She’ll be okay, Jug.”

“I hope so. I need her to be. I really love her. I really love her a lot.”

“I mean, you have a kid together, so I hope so.” She rolled her eyes and sighed, “I’m happy for you, you deserve a great life and I’m-I’m very sorry, Jug. I really am very sorry. I wish I had listened to you.”

“I wouldn’t have told you. I didn’t want you to know everything she told you, actually, I still wish you didn’t. I didn’t do any of that to be a martyr, I just thought it was the right thing.”

“All the more reason for me to know. I love you, you know that, right?”

“I do. I love you too, Bean.” He side-hugged her, sighing at the thought that she’d be leaving soon. They were so taken by their conversation and the kids that didn’t see Betty sneaking out of the house and getting in her car.

*** * ***

Betty had driven into town, purchased a few things to hide the real item she was buying and then promptly went back home and hid the small box in her underwear drawer.

Saying good bye to JB was a sad affair, all the kids had fallen in love with her constant want to play and do things they shouldn’t, Jughead felt like he was losing a sister he’d just gotten back, Betty was losing the first friend she’d made in forever and Theo decided he wasn’t losing anyone because ‘if you don’t call me every day I’ll be so angry, Aunty Jelly!’ There had been too many hugs, a few tears and a million promises of coming back soon. A week hadn’t been enough to quench their thirst for her to be around, but it had been enough to forge bonds the siblings had thought broken forever. To lessen the blow, Jughead had bought way too much ice cream and was having an ice cream party with all the kids while Betty sat on the floor of their tile bathroom, three minutes feeling like forever and a day.

After the three minutes, ten of crying and then twenty more of staring into space and wondering what the hell she was going to do Betty washed her face, put a smile on and went downstairs to the ice cream party, shoving the stick in her underwear drawer again. Alice was right about one thing: mistakes could be fixed.

When she got down there everyone was making jokes and sticky hands were reaching for toppings like whipped cream, sprinkles and cookies.

“You are going to deal with the sugar rush, Mister, because this is aaaaaall you.” She pecked Jughead’s lips to Theo’s usual “EWWWW!” and served herself just a few spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream.

“Mooooom!” Betty turned to Theo running at her, sticky fingers extended and arms up. This time she just raised her eyebrows.

“Nuh-uh…what do we need to do?”

“Was my hands?”

“Yup. Go do that and then you can sit on my lap.”

“OKAY!” He said happily and she sighed. Theo had gotten into really loving washing his hands with far too much soap and making bubbles. It was adorable and Betty preferred it to him walking around with grimy hands touching everything in sight, so she hadn’t said anything about it yet. He came back in no time at all, wet all the way to his waist and giggling, climbing on her lap.

“OKAY! MOM! I have a secret to tell you!”

“A secret?!” She asked in an excited tone and all the kids laughed, as if the same secret had been told to everyone.

“YA! My favorite ice cream is strawberry and chocolate and dad said you like strawberry and he likes chocolate!” Her smile widened into a real one, eyes sparkling and kissed his cheek.

“I love you, Little One.” She said sweetly, their foreheads resting together and his little hands fisting on her shirt.

“I love you too, mommy.” He snuggled in, her shirt soaking through while she combed her fingers through his hair until his breathing evened out as he fell asleep on her.

“Ms. Cooper, can we take a nap?” asked someone to her right, usually she was very anti-nap because it meant not going to sleep until later at night, but she was exhausted and Theo was already asleep and even Jughead looked worse for wear, so she just nodded. Even though it was pretty early, she knew it had already been a day full of emotions, add to that the morning of playing with water, everyone was bound to be exhausted.

“Nap sounds good, I think we all need one. Let’s clean up this mess and then we can all go take a nap.” She said, and the kids worked in unison putting everything away and cleaning and Jughead just sat, staring at her, like he knew something but said nothing. A few minutes later, Theo was put in his bed and all the kids had gone to sleep off their sugar crashes, Betty followed suit, getting in pajamas and getting in bed with a sigh, her mind running overtime as she tried to figure out what to do.

*** * ***

Jughead came in quietly and caged her between his arms, his body hovering over hers, her hands going to his now bare back while his lips met hers in a tender, soft kiss. A lot had happened in just a couple of weeks and their relationship had fallen a little bit in the back burner especially that last week with JB in the house. Neither had said a word about it, but it was nice to have this time alone. He kissed down her neck, pulling away only to take her shirt off. Jughead moved down her chest, leaving kisses all the way down to the waistband of her pajama shorts and pulled them down along with her underwear, a seemingly new addition to her outfits. For a moment he wondered how they’d gotten here, how he’d gotten so lucky. He looked up at her with hooded eyes as he licked a stripe from her entrance to her clit, sucking it into his mouth and flicking his tongue against it. Her whole body arched towards him with a loud sigh while her hands grabbed on to the duvet underneath her. She refused to acknowledge her fear right then, wanting to only think of him and how much he cared about her, being careful and sweet with every move. He took care of her, as if he _knew_ she needed to go slow, to be pampered, it made every nerve ending light up with something more than lust, something she didn’t doubt for a second was love.

Jughead made sure to stimulate her in every way he could, flicking his tongue slowly then quickly, pushing it inside her and sucking on her clit, all while his fingers explored her body, pinching and twisting her nipples, making her react more than usual. He indulged in her body, stopping to blow cold air on her and finally climbing back up her body to press his lips with hers. He could barely hold back, but the look in her eyes, it was almost as if she were thanking him. “I want you.” He whispered, feeling desperate to touch her, to make her his, to show her how amazing he thought she was, how strong and incredible, they were a team forever now because whatever happened, they had a child together. Perhaps it wasn’t the white picket fence he had always wished for, the perfect 2.5 kids, sedan up front and suburb living, but somehow this was better.

“Take me.” She was breathy and needy, her hands moving the expanse of his back, feeling the muscles shift as he moved.

They made love slowly, her fingers tangling in his hair and her legs coming up to wrap around him. They moved together for what felt like hours, finding all the touches and kisses that made the other sigh of whimper and then, once they were both covered in a sheen of sweat and starting to feel exhausted Jughead turned them, putting Betty on top and her approach was different. She moved up and down his shaft experimentally at first, her hands on his chest as she tortured him slowly.

They moved together like puzzle pieces refusing to come apart, she sighed and whimpered, he groaned and growled and when it all became too much, when the take and give of their bodies reached the point of no return, for once, they didn’t wait, they just let go together.

They held each other once they were spent and catching their breaths.

“What’s wrong, Betts? You’ve been sick, you refuse to go to a doctor, your mood’s been…weird, you’re not eating, what’s going on? I’m worried about you.” He whispered, hoping she wouldn’t take this badly.

“Nothing.” She said too quickly and then sighed. “What do you want, Jug? I mean…from life. Is this it? This house, the kids, Theo…is this it? Forever for you?” What she meant to ask was if he was happy now, if he wanted to keep things as they were forever, but instead, the question felt heavy on her tongue, knowing she had asked something completely different.

“I mean, I’ve never really planned my life, Betts. Life just happens and I’m here right now. Is that a bad thing?”

“No…no, it’s not. If this is it for you, then I can do this. I can. I can do this if this is what you want.” She was moving her fingers idly over his chest, the edges of her vision blurring a little as her heart both thumped out of her chest and stopped altogether. She felt breathless, she had always hated rejection but just then it wasn’t the rejection she was feeling, it was her own stupidity for having allowed this to happen. Now she knew what she had to do and as soon as the thought registered, she realized she didn’t want to do it at all. She bit her bottom lip.

Jughead put a hand on her waist and used his free hand to bring her eyes to his with a tilt of her chin. “Betty, I need you look at me when I say this, I need you to understand and know that I mean it when I say _fuck no_. What I want is so far from...anything I could have ever planned. I don’t ever want you to do something just because it might be what I want. You challenge me, you break rules, you push me and I love that about you.”

“What do you want, then?”

“You.” He said sweetly and pressed his lips against hers so their lips stuck together and barely moved against each other’s, but when he pulled away he looked different, no longer did he seem sweet and careful, but mischievous. He kissed a path to her earlobe, his tongue darting against it, “I want you…on every surface of this house. Do you want me, Betty?” His voice was low and deep and she got goosebumps all over just from the feel of his breath against her ear and neck, she was so, so gone, so she just nodded, eyes closed, brain refusing to function properly. “Come on, baby, let’s go take a shower.”

Betty was still in a fog, so she wasn’t exactly sure how the hell she’d made the short distance to the restroom without falling. What she did know was that the hot shower was going full force filling the large space with steam and making it difficult to breathe, and that they hadn’t made it in at all. As soon as the door had closed behind her Jughead had picked her up and sat her on the vanity between the two sinks. In turn, Betty had trapped him against her with her legs.

“Juggie…” She trying to rub against him but the vanity was just slightly to high up and the angle was annoying. Jughead seemed to understand because he pulled her so far to the edge that if not for his body she would have fallen.

He pushed his middle finger inside her to the sound of their mingling moans. She needed more, but how could she ask when he kept holding back on purpose? It was torture, and she loved every second of it. She looked at him, his face contorted with the very desire he was refusing to act on if only to tease her until she went insane, but two could play at this game, so, with her eyes locked on his, she licked her lips slowly and with all the practiced grace of someone who did yoga every weekend lifted a leg and put it over his shoulder. Jughead nearly broke. He kissed her ankle, up her leg as far as he could reach, which wasn’t much in this position. Jughead pulled his finger from her and grabbed her waist helping her off the counter and dragging her into the shower.

“Come on. We’ll have all day to get dirty again.” He said suggestively, but she was so, so turned on and he had just _stopped_ , it felt like actual torture. He stood behind her under the spray of the water, grabbed the shampoo and worked it onto her hair, massaging her scalp. Idly she wondered how he could make _that_ feel sexy, but she also thought that as wound up as she was she would probably find anything sexy. He worked the suds off her hair, down her back, massaging her shoulders, really indulging her whole body in the art of feeling good. He kissed her neck, uncaring that it tasted of soap. He took a single step forward then so one of his feet was between hers and let her feel his hardness between the cheeks of her perfect ass hitting the curve of her lower back without stopping the massage. Betty’s head fell forward as she shakily reached for the soap. The water was hot rain, stifling and delicious. She washed her body quickly and without much thought but when she tried to turn, he held her in place.

Jughead’s nose rubbed her ear while his teeth clamped down on the flesh of her earlobe. “I want to take you back to the bed,” He said, voice low and gravely with the effort it took not to touch her. “I want to treat you right.” She swallowed thickly. Their earlier encounter had been amazing and loving, but his tone now held the promise of much more, of something hard and fast, all about getting off as many times as they could against the wall, doggy style, cowgirl and backwards cowgirl, they’d done a lot already and Betty didn’t want to lose that, but then, he pulled back.

“I’m going to get you to cum and then you’re going to rest until you feel better, okay?”

She sighed but nodded, how was she supposed to explain she wouldn’t feel better? Not until after a doctor’s visit that she wasn’t even sure she wanted to take, and if she didn’t…if she didn’t everything would change. And it was too much, too much change in such a short amount of time, she wasn’t ready, she hated change.

Jughead took his time to enjoy her body slowly, to indulge in the act and not only the release. Even with his promise of so much more he knew she needed rest given how sick she’d been, and when she finally came, leaving him hard as a fucking rock, he kissed her, held her close until she did fall asleep and was about get up when Betty spoke, apparently not having fallen asleep at all.

“Jug?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry I ruined everything.” She turned away from him, letting a few tears escape. Thinking she meant him not getting off he shushed her and kissed her forehead.

“You didn’t ruin anything. I love you, okay? You don’t owe me anything, Baby.”

She curled up in a small ball and let him get dressed and go.


	17. An Ever-Changing Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty shares a secret with Jughead and he reacts in an unexpected way, but good things only ever last so long and Theo having a nightmare breaks news to Jughead that something big and dark is coming their way.
> 
>  **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**  
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

It had been three days of her knowing and three days of her telling herself that this was the right thing for them, even if it wasn’t necessarily what she wanted. Now, they sat in his office, too late for any of the kids to be up and unable to focus, she put her book down and sighed.

“Jug, I umm…I need a favor.”

“Sure, Love, what’s up?”

“I might have a small procedure next week and I can’t drive myself back, could you pick me up?” This caught his attention and he looked up, worried obvious on his face.

“Is everything okay? What type of procedure? Are you sick? Betty…Are you really sick?” His heart sank and his eyebrows furrowed, the worst possible things came to mind, he couldn’t lose her, not when he had _just_ gotten her, not when they had Theo to think of.

“N-No.” She blushed at his concern, unsure of how to break the news, but knowing she had to, he deserved to know, in fact, he deserved to have a say in this, she was just pretty sure she what his say would be. “I’m not sick. I just…it’s not a big deal, it’s a pretty routine thing.”

“Betts…” He sighed. “Just tell me when and where. I want to be there during the procedure. I’ll wait outside, I just have to know you’re okay.”

This made Betty tear up, would she be okay? She didn’t know. She’d been asked, when she made the appointment if she was sure and ready and making this appointment willingly and though she replied with a sure tone, it was all a lie. She swallowed thickly, and looked down at her hands wringing together in an attempt not to allow her nails dig into her palms like she used to.

“Betty what the fuck is going on? I’m fucking worried, and I keep trying to stay out of your business, thinking you’ll tell me when you’re ready, and I don’t want to pry in your personal life, but _fuck_! You need some sort of…what? Surgery? I need to know what’s going on.” He said with urgency now and it made her feel guilty, wondering how long he’d been waiting for her to talk to him, probably for days now. So, she took out the stick from her back pocket, knowing she was going to have to tell him sooner or later and handed it to him.

“I’m pregnant.” She whispered, and then as quickly as Theo had once apologized for having called her ‘mom’ by mistake added, “But I already made the appointment to fix it if it’s what you want. It wont be a problem for us, everything can stay how it is, I just need a ride. Now that I think about it I could just take Uber.”

Jughead leaned back, the chair dipping a little, lips parted, then closing, then parting again and brushing his hair back with his hand, his eyes watering and holding the little plastic stick with such force that it creaked in his hold. “I’m sorry.” She said, watching him have a silent breakdown as he tried to understand.

“Is it because of me? Is it because of my past?” He finally asked after long seconds of silence, letting the information sink in.

“What?”

“It’s your body, Betty, it’s your choice, I understand that and if it’s what you want, then I support you, I guess, but I need to know why you don’t want to have a kid with me. My kid. It’s mine, right? I mean-of course it is, that was a fucking stupid question. It’s just…Is it because of me that you don’t want it?”

Betty tilted her head and shrugged, “Of course it’s yours.” She said, but she wasn’t angry, she understood his doubts. “But it’s because you said you liked things how they were. It’s a lot of change, I understand that. When you started to like me you didn’t expect to adopt Theo, to be basically running a foster home, it’s a lot and I can’t bare it to put more on your plate until you get sick of me and just kick everyone out.”

“Betty…that’s not…That’s not what I meant when I said I liked things how they were. Shit.”

“That’s not it, though. I’m also scared of whether I can have a kid at all. My mom-“

“Is a horrid bitch you should never listen to. Jesus Christ, _fuck!_ this is not how I imagined you telling me this.”

“You imagined this?”

“Of course I did! How could I not? Theo was going on and on when JB was here about me having put a-oh my god, have you known since then?”

“No! No, I didn’t know, and I have no idea how he did.” She said quickly, knowing she’d kept a secret but not wanting him to think she’d kept it for much longer than she really had. “I don’t want to get rid of the baby, Jughead, but I can’t do this alone, I keep thinking if I have to stop taking my medicine, I keep thinking I might hurt myself if I can’t take it, or worse, hurt the baby! I keep thinking you’ll hate me and I keep thinking I messed up, we didn’t plan this, we didn’t want this and it’s so fucking much and I’m freaking the fuck out!” Her tone was getting more and more hysterical as she spoke, so Jughead got up, walked around the desk and picked her up until she was standing and they were hugging.

“Cancel that appointment, Betty. _Please_.” He whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek and her lips. “Let’s try this again, okay? Let’s…I call a do-over, I want a do-over. What’s wrong baby? Are you sick?” He asked again and she let out a wet sob before shaking her head, her arms finally coming up to wrap around his neck.

“I’m pregnant.” She whispered, now with a small smile and Jughead burst into tears, pulling her into a long, hard kiss.

“You’re so amazing! You’re so amazing and beautiful and holy fuck, Bets, you’re…oh my god. We’re going to be parents of two! In less than a year! Holy shit. My god, I love you.” He kissed her again and again and she laughed through her tears, realizing she had made choices for him that she shouldn’t have, and thank god she had shared the truth. “We need a nursery! We need a name! We need toys and clothes and we need…we need a doctor! We need life insurance, we need…we have so much to do!”

“Jughead?”

“Betty, I have to make a crib and a rocking chair, I have to-“

“Jughead!”

“We have to make JB’s room into a nursery and move her room to the other one so the baby’s closer to us.”

“Jughead, we have eight months or something…we have time.”

“You’re going to have a round belly?” He had tears running down his cheeks again, unable to believe it. “We have to tell JB. We have to…your family.”

“Eventually. We’ll…we’ll tell them eventually, Jug. Right now this is ours. Just ours. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it and for all I know I could lose it because of the meds.” She admitted, looking down at her feet, feeling unfit and a bad mother already.

“We’ll go to a doctor soon.” He assured her, “You’re going to make me a dad again?” It was like he really couldn’t believe it, his eyes moving between hers and her flat stomach time and time again.

“You’re making me a mom again, too.”

“You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me, Elisabeth. You’re my world and God…I love you more than words will ever be able to express. Holy fuck…a _baby_!”

“Yeah, a baby.” She whispered and now that she saw his reaction, she was absolutely astounded she had ever thought his reaction would be anything but this. He kissed her lips time and time again, tiny, barely there pecks, and then he dropped to his knees and kissed her belly.

“Hi, Baby. I love you so much already. Your mama…she’s an amazing woman. I can’t wait for you to meet her. You’ll see…she’s…she’s an angel and a queen all in one. God I hope you’re a boy because if you’re a girl I’m going to have to kill all your boyfriends, you’re going to be so beautiful, so amazing.”

This made Betty cry, of course, this and the exhaustion and the emotions and everything hitting her at once. He stood and brought her into a hug that was all love, his face buried in her neck.

“Holy shit, you’re making a tiny human.” He said into her skin, making her chuckle.

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

“You’re going to need help here, Bets, a baby’s…tough and time consuming and difficult and scary and holy hell, you’ll need help to maintain this.”

“I got this, Jug, when it gets to that we can talk about it, but there are eight months left at least. I haven’t gone to a doctor yet.”

“The best, we need to find the absolute best. You need to be safe and so does the baby. Foods, there are foods you can’t eat and things you shouldn’t do. Books! We need to buy books.”

“You’re freaking out.”

“Well…yeah! Of course I’m freaking out. Last time I took care of someone related to me she got taken away.” He said this in a more somber tone, almost scared.

“Jug, this baby wont be taken from us and you have already proven to be a great dad and…and I’m really very scared too, actually.”

“Can I ask something very personal?”

“I think we’re past asking for permission at this point.”

“Could I go with you to your doctor or psychologist or…whoever it is that manages the anxiety with you?”

“Of course. I umm…I really need to go soon. A lot has happened and I’m really overwhelmed. And pregnant. There’s that, too.” She sighed. “What if I’m not ready? What if I freak out and don’t know how to do it? What if I can’t manage it?”

“One step at a time, I think.” They both nodded as if silently agreeing to just figure it out, just do their best, and then they just stood there, holding each other, feeling a whole lot of everything, nerves, excitement, nausea, happiness, fear, giddiness, everything consumed them.

“I think I need to go to bed.”

“Let me shut off the computer and we’ll go together.”

When they got upstairs, Theo was sitting on the floor outside their room, his little legs ‘criss-crossed-apple-sauce’ and his hands holding his toes, tiny tears staining his cheeks.

“Momma?” He asked as they walked up and she immediately scooped him up.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” She was a little frantic but trying to keep her tone steady so he didn’t get scared. He just shook his head.

“I had a bad dream and you weren’t answering the door and I didn’t want to be alone and Lia and Liam are asleep and I’m s-“ he sobbed, “scared.”

She held him so close there was no room for even a sheet of paper between them, one arm under his butt while his little legs were wrapped around her, her other hand on his head and slowly bouncing him a little from side to side making shushing sounds while Jughead opened the door to their room and they all walked in.

“Wanna sleep with us tonight, Little One?” Jughead asked sweetly and Theo rubbed his eyes with a fist and nodded.

“Okay.” Betty said, not stopping the bouncing at all while Jughead disappeared to go change. Once he was back, Betty put Theo on the bed, who crawled to Jughead and immediately latched onto him, little fists grabbing onto his shirt in the way he usually did with Betty while Betty headed to get in her pajamas, unsure of what the protocol was for changing in front of a child.

“You’ll fight the monsters, Daddy?”

“I’ll kick their-“ he looked around, pretending to make sure Betty wasn’t listening, “I’ll kick their butt if they try to get close to you.”

“Promise?”

“I promise forever and ever and ever. I will do my best to keep the monsters as far away as possible.”

“I don’t like their jackets.” Theo whispered and that made Jughead’s blood run cold, he was pretty sure imaginary monsters didn’t wear jackets, but he did know people who did.

“With snakes?” He asked carefully and Theo shook his head.

“With skulls.” He pouted, his bottom lip sticking out and shaking.

“I got you. They wont get anywhere near you ever. You’ll tell me if they hurt you, right?”

“Theo shrugged.”

“Theo, this is very, very, very important. If you see these monsters or if they ever get close to you, you have to tell me, okay?”

“They talked to me once. They said they would hurt my mom if I didn’t take their backpack to school. But that was before Ms. Cooper was my mommy, When Lia and Liam left.”

“Where did they talk to you, Theo? Do you remember?”

“My room.” He whispered, rubbing his eyes again.

Jughead combed Theo’s hair with his fingers to calm him down. “They wont bother you again, Theo. Not ever.” He said seriously, pulling the little boy towards him right as Betty came out of the bathroom and got in bed. It was the worst possible fucking time, but life had never been nice or fair to him, so Jughead knew what he had to do, he had to visit the Serpents.


	18. A Dangerous Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead shares what he knows with Betty and they both react in drastic ways. FP gets involves and gives them a part of the puzzle they weren't expecting and don't know what to do with. Danger is nye and war imminent. 
> 
> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**  
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Jughead got up after a night of sleeplessness and pecked a kiss to Betty’s lips,

“Morning, Love,” to Theo’s forehead, “Morning squirt,” and to Betty’s belly, “Morning…mhmm,” and was walking away to brush his teeth when Theo grabbed his hand and stood on the bed to leave a wet, sloppy kiss to his cheek. “Morning daddy.” Then to Betty’s, “Morning mommy,” and seemingly confused to her stomach, “Morning belly.” He shrugged and jumped off the bed.

“Hey, where’re you going?” Betty asked, amused, wanting to cuddle with her kid all morning for once, having a tickle fight, just keeping him close.

“To get dressed for school!” He said, as if it was obvious.

“Okay, no running. Love you!”

“I know!” He left their room his little feet making slapping sounds on the floor.

The previous night Jughead hadn’t slept at all, but one of the great things about being between cities with no government to call his own was that he didn’t need permits to build or destroy on his own land, so, earlier than he usually cared to do anything he was behind the house with a jackhammer and a few other men getting rid of the stairs that went up to the third floor directly from the outside.

In the past it had been necessary, but now the kids came through the front anyway and he couldn’t have random adults in his house, near his children, near his…Betty. It was weird to think of her as a girlfriend because she felt like much more, but reality was that they had only been on one date…and adopted a kid together and she was pregnant, and they lived together, what a backwards, fucked up way for life to be nice to him. He had known to expect something bad, too much good had been going on and his life had never really been kind, it had to even out but he certainly hadn’t expected Ghoulies in his fucking house.

Once the children had left for school that morning, after specific instructions to stay away from people they didn’t know, even if they seemed nice, and especially if they were in leather jackets, Betty had asked him why he had done that, and he had filled her in, explaining the Ghoulies had been gone since a little after he’d joined the Serpents and that they seemed to be back, he explained they were a rival gang, and then, holding her hands and worried sick she would freak out, he had told her what Theo had told him the previous night. Her eyes had turned hard, her lips pressed together and her nostrils flared.

“I want a gun.” She had answered in a flat tone.

“What?”

“I want a gun.” She had gotten up and paced the space, her voice raising in something he’d never seen before on her, absolutely terrifying loathing. “There was a grown ass man talking to _my_ son in _my_ house. If I see him I want to put a fucking bullet between his eyes! He’s my SON! I will kill him. I will kill him and everyone he fucking loves!” She had yelled and there was a determination in her tone that made him shiver.

“Bets! You have to calm down. You’re pregnant, you can’t be freaking out like that, I heard once that the baby feels everything. I just want him…her whatever to know love and calm and happiness. There’s enough chaos once it’s born, okay?” He had gotten up putting a hand on her lower back and another on her stomach, holding her close and kissing her neck in hopes to calm her down a bit.

“Okay. I want a gun.” She sat down heavily, rubbing her face. “He could have hurt any of the kids. It’s not just about Theo! And those…those fucking stairs! Never locked, they need to go.” She had said in no uncertain terms, which lead them to now, with Jughead getting rid of the concrete steps while other men closed the hole that had been the door to said stairs on the third floor. It was a long day, they put heavy locks on the windows, a security system that made a sound when any door or window to the outside was opened.

Betty had told him she needed to calm down, so she was going shopping for baking supplies, but instead headed to the Wyrm, and this time, when she walked in, she didn’t feel the bit-least nervous.

“FP! FP get down here. NOW! FORS-” She yelled, the few morning patrons looking at her like she was some crazy lady, and she supposed that at the moment, she was.

The man came down the stairs quickly and with panicked eyes. “Is Jughead okay?” He asked, and even through her anger and fear that warmed her heart and she nodded.

“Sit.”

“Girlie, are you trying to tell me what to-“

“Sit the fuck down, FP.” She said without any patience and sat in front of him after watching him hang his head like a student who'd been caught with his cellphone out. “Someone came into my house and talked to my children. Someone in a leather jacket with a skull on it, and Jughead told me a little bit about these ghouls or whatever the fuck nerd name they chose but I know he didn’t tell me everything and let me very, very fucking clear, if I see any of these assholes near my kids I will wring their necks.” Her tone was venomous, fueled by all the horrible feelings she usually pushed down , waaaaay down and tried to forget about.

FP leaned back, tilting his head. “You’re a tough cookie. Not all lemon pie and apple crumble, huh?”

“They’re my kids, and you may not understand this, but I need to take care of them. They need to be safe from adults who want to hurt them.” He flinched and she sighed, he had come down asking about his son after all, and she didn’t know all his battles, just like she only knew one side of the story.

“Well, why are you telling me? Us Serpents don’t wear skulls.” He deadpanned.

“No. They don’t. They get rid of skulls. I’m here to ask for your help, and if you don’t want to help, then get me a gun.”

“I’m not getting you a gun. You’re fucking pissed, you might shoot me just to feel better.”

“I might.” She shrugged and took a deep breath again. “I’m sorry, I’m…”

“Pissed off and scared, I get it. I was there once.” He looked away from her. “No can do. I’m not starting a war with nothing but a kid’s word, he might have dreamt it.” He said not really believing it himself.

Unable to think what else to do she called Jughead.

“Are you okay?” He asked instead of saying hello, and that really showed her just how dangerous these guys were that Jughead was worried, even thinking she was buying flour.

“I’m at the Wyrm. I need you here.”

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING AT THE-I’M COMING. STAY STILL. I’M COMING.”

“What the fuck did you do that for? The kid’s gonna try to kick my ass again.” Said FP with a sad exhale of his own.

“I have my reasons. Stay. He wont be too long.”

“Fine. Want coffee? Tea? I’ve been getting into tea recently.”

“Tea sounds lovely, actually, with honey…and lemon…do you have pickles?”

“That’s disgusting. I’ll go get it.”

When Jughead barged in FP was mid story about a time Jughead had taken his sister for show and tell without telling his parents. It was funny, and she did laugh, but she couldn’t help but wonder how two adults had not noticed their child go missing, and more than that, how they hadn’t noticed Jughead going to school holding his baby sister. It broke her heart, knowing the story was probably much more complicated and that Jughead had been protecting her.

“What did you do, you son of a-“ Jughead said as he approached the booth where they were sitting, stopping dead when he saw the tea.

“Sit.” Betty said seriously and when he did, shooting her a confused look she laced her fingers with his under the table. “FP I need you to go walk around the bar and come back in ten minutes.” She said and just like that, FP was getting up.

“She’s bossy.” He said to Jughead and slapped his back as if saying ‘women’ with a shake of his head.

“Betty what the fuck? I asked you not to come here. I told you to stay away from my dad.”

“I know.”

“You promised-“

“No, I didn’t. Just hear me out. They can help. They owe you for everything you do, everything you’ve done. And we need their help to keep our kids safe.”

“They’re not going to. They’re not safe people to begin with, Betty, they’re violent and a lot of them are creeps and worse.” He tried to explain.

“I think they would be for your son, for FP’s grandson. Last time I was here it was to get Theo’s mother’s address. I think we should tell him.”

“No. I don’t want him disappointing my son the way he did with me.”

“I don’t think he will, but we can give him an ultimatum. First slip up, just one and he’s done and out of our lives forever.”

“No.”

“Jug…when I got here he ran down asking if you were okay. I’m not saying he’s a good parent, but I do think he cares and we can’t keep a dozen kids safe alone. They were in our _house_. They talked to our _son_.” She said with such pain, anger gone and something more honest coming through in her tone: fear.

“Fine. One strike, Betty. I’m serious. His slip ups aren’t small.”

“One strike.”

“What in the world are you eating?”

“A pickle. And tea.”

“That’s disgusting. What’s _he_ drinking?”

“Tea with honey.”

“Seriously?” Jughead reached for the tea cup, smelling it’s contents to make sure it wasn’t whiskey, even as early as it was.

“He’s been sober for two years according to him.”

“Can I sit now?” FP asked, having come back with coffee for Jughead and another pickle for Betty, a grimace on his face as she sipped tea and took a bite of the bright green dill.

“Yeah.” Betty said. “Thanks for the pickle. They’re really great. I should check what brand you buy.”

“Uh-huh” He just said, looking at Jughead with a green tint all his own. “Look, I didn’t ask her to come, okay? You can’t blame me for _that_.” FP said to Jughead and Jug sighed, not feeling bad, but maybe rethinking attacking his father each time he walked into this establishment.

“We have something to tell you, Dad. I need your word, though, first, that you will follow our rules.”

“I don’t make deals when I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Dad-I’m giving you a chance, _we_ are giving you a chance to be a part of our lives, but if you fuck up once, so help me I will never again give you the time of day. Not ever.”

“Is that what you needed to say?” FP questioned, arms crossed over his chest.

“Dad…Betty and I have a son.”

“What?” FP put down his mug full of tea, eyes watering and taking a few deep breaths. “You what?”

“We adopted a boy, his name is Theo’s, he’s-“

“Talia’s brother?”

“Yeah. You know him?” Jughead was confused by this, why would his father have the name of a child in the forefront of his mind? Everyone did know their story, but few cared to remember the name of the living sibling, generally only knowing that there was one.

“Yeah. Their mother’s trash.”

“I’m his mother.” Betty interrupted. “And I will keep him safe so help me.”

FP looked between them, lips pressed together into a thin line.

“Right. Their mother isn’t the issue, though. Their father is King of the Ghoulies.”


	19. A Scary Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead and Betty try to deal with the reality of the danger they and the children are under as their world turns upside down. Looking for any kind of support available, Betty urges Jughead to consider FP and Jug shares a secret with JB who's reaction is not at all what Jug expects. 
> 
>  
> 
> **  
> _**I would like to apologize for the delay, my mum had an accident and I've been taking care of her.**_  
>  **
> 
>  
> 
> I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!  
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -SMUT
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

The meeting hadn’t gone on much longer than that, Betty had ran off to puke and father and son sat looking at one another in a silent understanding that the kids couldn’t get caught in the cross fire and that something had to be done.

“Congratulations on the adoption.” Said FP after a while.

“Thank you. Betty really wants you meet him.”

“But you don’t.” It wasn’t a question and for the briefest of seconds FP had looked at his tea instead of meeting Jughead’s gaze, he understood he had made his grave.

“No, that’s not it. It’s not that I don’t want you to meet him, Dad. It’s that I don’t want you to disappoint him. He’s had enough of that and he’s too little for all that.”

“I’m sorry, Jughead. I’m sorry that I was a shit father, I can’t take it back. I wish I could but I don’t know, maybe my being a fuck up made you who you are.” He shrugged,

“That is fucked. You can’t take an ounce of responsibility, instead you pat yourself on the back because I succeeded despite you?”

“No, Kid. It ain’t no pat on the back. I missed out on all of it. Your first girlfriend, your first car, fuck, your first school dance. I missed your graduations, I don’t deserve no pat. But I am proud of you. Your ma used to say you were just like me, destined for the booze and the abuse she used to say. You take care of this town in a way I never could have. Kickin’ me out of your life? Best damn thing you ever did, but that don’ mean it didn’ hurt. But I pray to God you listen to your girl because even if I don’t deserve it, I would like to meet my gr-“ He choked up and looked away, “my grandson.”

There was a long pause, silence engulfing them as the words sank in, Jughead didn’t want to give him yet another chance, but FP had never so much as tried sincerity, so this change, Jughead hoped, was part of a bigger one.

“You really stopped drinking?”

“Two years ago.”

“What happened two years ago?”

“You were grocery shopping, passed by me and didn’t recognized me. I was fucked up, I had been in a fight, I stank like a drunk homeless guy, and you were standing in a suit getting a pint of ice cream or some shit. I remember thinkin’ I wish I could congratulate you on becoming a man who wears suits. Ain’t that somethin’? A Jones doin’ something’ right.”

Jughead remembered that day vaguely, he remembered his agent calling forcing him to go to a party and asking for ice cream because she was pregnant and the caterers didn’t have any ice cream. His third book had reached the Best Sellers list and he was ecstatic. As he reached for the ice cream he’d thought of FP and JB and how alone he really was.

*** * ***

Once back at home Betty had immediately busied herself making batch after batch of brownies and setting appointments with her obstetrician and psychiatrist while Jughead tried to calm her down. She even thought about taking a bath, but how in the world could she do that when she didn’t know if the kids would get snatched by monsters while waiting for the bus to come home? She was a wreck and found herself counting the kids every few minutes once they’d come back from school just to make sure they were all there and safe.

The rest of the week had been about fear and appointments. Her psychiatrist had asked her to stop taking her medicine as she didn’t know how long she had already been taking it while pregnant, but in turn gave them both Betty and Jughead her number and made it clear that any extreme change in behavior or mood was to be reported to her whether it was for good or for bad, manic or depressed, and that she was available 24/7. The older woman had not hidden her worry at the amount of change Betty had forced on herself in such a short period of time, from leaving her house, to engaging in a relationship and adopting a child, these weren’t the actions of someone who was thinking clearly, and that was, perhaps, proof that her medicine wasn’t helping as it should and instead taking her to a place where lack of anxiety and fear had allowed her not to consider the consequences. They spoke of Alice, of JB, and of Jughead, they spoke of Theo and how he was absolutely the love of her life, the apple of her eye and her child, whether she had birthed him or not. It was clear that her therapist was apprehensive and troubled, but she wasn’t able to say much given it didn’t seem that Betty really was being destructive, but rather allowing herself to make choices outside of the ones she had been trained to make by her mother.

The OBGYN, on the other hand, had happily informed them that were, in fact pregnant but that it was far too early to know if it was a girl or a boy. She had then given Betty the list Jughead was after, a list of things she couldn’t do (like ride a rollercoaster) and couldn’t eat (soft cheeses). She had also given Jughead a short but clear speech about the fact that Betty could still do most of what she was already doing, she was pregnant, not dying but had gone on to explain that it was always best to keep stress at bay, especially this early in the pregnancy.

They kept busy, him carving and writing, writing and carving, and her with whatever she could, from her blog to helping the kids with homework and projects, baking more than usual and spending a whole lot of time staring into space, her mind wandering off the worst possible scenarios. She was terrified of what was to come and though she did her best to seem okay, kids were receptive and she had already been asked several times if she was okay.

“I’m scared.” She said at night while she was in the bathtub, her back to his front, his hand idly caressing her stomach as he did so often since she’d told him she was pregnant. All the kids were upstairs and she had to fight herself not to go up there every few minutes to make sure they were safe and alright. It was only a matter of time until those Neanderthals showed up and tried to climb stairs that were no longer there, only a matter of time until they knew that Jug and her were onto them, only a matter of time before they did whatever it was they wanted to do in the first place and attacked.

“I know…” he said and then, with a kiss to her neck, “Me too. But it’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out.”

“We have to. Fast.”

“Betts, I know it’s not the right time, but I promised JB I’d bring it up with you. One of her professors put me in the syllabus and they’d like me to go speak to the class.” He brought it up because he’d promised JB, but he was also using it as a distraction for Betty, knowing she was right to worry, but afraid that this worry was intruding on her health and pregnancy. He needed to keep her calm and as stress-free as he could.

“That’s great, Juggie! I’m so proud of you!” She turned her head to peck his lips, a small kiss that quickly deepened but ended regardless, his hand still making circles on her stomach, inching lower and lower, making her heart rate begin to climb.

“Thank you, I’m not going to do it, I can’t leave you alone right now, but I wanted you to know in case she brings it up.”

“You should do it. I’ll be okay for a couple of days, I’ll see if I can get a babysitter to help out or something, but it’ll be fine. You should do it, you deserve it.”

“I don’t really want to leave right now, Betts.”

“Promise me you’ll think about it. I don’t want you to miss out on opportunities because of me.”

“That’s not it, it’s dangerous right now and I just…look, I’ll think about it. Okay? If it makes you happy.”

“Mmmm…it does…” his hand was now trailing up and down her inner thigh, teasing her without him even realizing it until she put her hand over his and slowly moved it up to where she wanted him, interlacing her fingers with his and guiding him to her clit, circling it slowly, her head falling back against his shoulder, eyes closed.

“Betts…we shouldn’t…” He whispered in her ear, low and deep and doing things to her that simply weren’t fair, but she stopped.

“Why?” She felt embarrassed and closed her legs, bringing her knees up to her chest.

“Because you’re pregnant?”

“And?”

“And…I don’t know.”

“I swear men skip anatomy class. Pregnant women can have sex, Jughead, nothing will happen. But if the thing is that you think it’s weird or you don’t want to, then that’s okay.” She shrugged with the smallest of smiles, reaching for the body wash to wash up and get out, but before she could change her position, Jughead had snaked an arm around her bottom, forcing her knees to stay by her chest and a single digit was pressing against her opening. She wanted to move against him, have him inside her, but she couldn’t do much with him holding her that way.

“I didn’t skip any classes, I’ll have you know. I just didn’t think you’d want to.” He bit her earlobe. “And I don’t want you to pretend you want me when you don’t.”

“Jughead…” her breath hitched, “I’m hornier now than I’ve ever been, if you don’t take care of me I’ll invest on a dildo.” She deadpanned and he growled.

“I might buy you a vibrator if you’re good, we could play with it when the kids are not here.” His finger was giving her just enough pressure to tease without actually going inside her, and then it was gone and her legs relaxed without his hold to keep them in place and she pouted, but if teasing was his game, she wanted to play too.

She backed her body up just a little more, moving her ass against him, feeling him getting harder, his hands going to her hips to help her move, enjoying the tease. She turned, wanting to kiss him, needing their bodies as close as they could get and slowly, ever so slowly lowering herself on him, both of them exhaling in unison at the feeling of closeness.

“Mmm…missed this.”

“Good stress relief,” he joked, but she tightened around him and his voice broke mid sentence. She moved slowly, not wanting to splash and make a mess, and he matched her languid movements with some of his own, kissing a path from her ear to her shoulder, loving her, taking care of her, moving his hands to hold her in place against him, their torsos pressed against one another’s, the explosion building between them to breaking point and not quite reaching yet, it was unlike anything they’d done before, it was pure indulgence.

“I did the math.” She said in a breathy tone.

“Hmm?” Jughead was too preoccupied with how amazing she felt, tight and warm and stretching around him to really understand what she was talking about.

“We got pregnant on the patio. It’s the only day that makes sense.”

His eyes met hers with shock. The patio; that had been when they’d found out they could adopt Theo. That had been the day they knew they’d be parents, the irony didn’t escape him.

“God, I love you. I love you so much,” He said and tightened his hold around her before he met her lips with his giving one last, hard thrust, that did them both in. It had been calm and slow but still earth shattering. They were both shaking when they finally got out, the water having gone cold at some point without either of them noticing. They kissed all the way to the bed, hoping Theo didn’t have any more nightmares.

“Maybe FP could come help me when you go to Columbia.” Betty thought out loud once in the bed, holding each other closely and snuggled into the warmth of each other.

“No. I’m still not sure how I feel about him knowing about Theo, I’m not leaving you alone here with him, Betts.”

“We should give it a try. Your family is less likely to hurt these kids than mine, trust me.”

“Look, we can have him over for a barbecue one weekend, if you want, but staying here without me and with him is not happening.”

“Are you scared I’ll leave you for him?” She teased, poking his ribs.

“Excuse me?”

“The leather really did fit him nicely, it was all snug and-“

“That’s disgusting, stop it!” he attacked her with tickles while Betty tried to writhe away from him, laughing hysterically. He ended up on top of her, looking down at her through a curtain of hair and slowly lowered himself to kiss her slowly. “I love you,”

“I love you, too.”

“I’m just trying to protect you, and this is the best I can do right now. I’m working on it, but you can’t stay with him, Betts. You just can’t.”

“Okay. A barbecue, then.” She smiled and kissed him back.

“Baby, are you awake?” He whispered, looking at her stomach, “Remember this, she told me I was right! She never does that.” He moved down her torso, kissing her chest, her breasts, and then her stomach before letting himself fall to the side and pulling her along. “Come here, it’ll be okay.”

“Okay.” She knew better than to ask him to promise this, but at least for now, she wanted to believe it. “But I never said you were right.”

That night they both woke up time and time again, sometimes together, sometimes alone, each with their own set of fears, not least of which was what could happen to their children, but Jughead had a fear all his own, he was scared that if this war broke out and he ended up in the Serpents again, this time there wouldn’t be a way out, he was scared he’d become his father, so it was two in the morning when he made his way down to his office and dialed JB on Skype hoping she was awake.

“What’s wrong with you? It’s two AM!”

“You’re fully dressed and have makeup on.” He deadpanned at his little sister who looked like she had just walked into her dorm from a fun night.

“I didn’t say I was asleep, I said it was two in the morning.”

“I’m calling to tell you I’m fucking angry with you Jelly” He said, unable to talk about the real problem at hand just yet.”

“What the fuck did I do?” JB remembered this, this was always how he approached conversations, jokes first, and she was more than willing to play along because she hadn’t been there for him to confide in in far to long.

“You were gone for fucking YEARS I mean, I was too happy to have you back to yell at you when you were here, but now I’m yelling at you. I expect a reply to every letter and every fucking birthday card. You owe me SO MANY birthday gifts and Christmas meals and Halloweens! I’m going to choose your outfits like I used to for never answering me. You suck, you know that? You’re the worst.”

“Oh yeah?” She challenged, eyebrow raised, eyes sparkling

“Yeah! And your music taste sucks.” He smirked, knowing that would set her off, and boy did it.

“Excuse me?” She yelled onto the screen, surely annoying her roommate if she had one. “Now you’ve crossed the line! You pompous arse!”

“You’re British now?! Who’s the pompous one?”

“How dare you! How fucking dare you? I have perfect taste, at least I’m not into Tarantino trash movies!”

“That was a lapse in judgment, JB!”

“You suck too!”

“My sucking doesn’t exclude your sucking!” He said right back, joking tone clear in their sparring, it really was fun and it felt right, like they were making up for all the stupid fights they had missed out on.

Betty, haven woken up to find herself alone had quickly gotten up and gone upstairs to count the kids and make sure they were all safe before going downstairs to search for Jug, finding quickly when she followed the voices. She peaked her head in, making sure she wasn’t interrupting anything important.

“Hi, Jelly!” She said from the door, unable to see her but recognizing her voice.

“Oh! Betty! Good! Come to the screen! My brothers better half! Surely you’ll be on my side!”

“I’m not taking sides. Not at all. We miss you.”

“I am very missable. I read a story yesterday that-“

“I’m sorry, excuse me.” Betty interrupted and ran out to the bathroom, leving Jughead to sigh.

“She’s still sick, Jug?” It was clear that JB was worried, her tone having gone somber, all jokes set aside.

“We went to a doctor. It’s nothing to worry about.” He tried to reassure her but the worries of everything going on crept onto his face and JB pressed her lips together, knowing something was up.

“The only thing that can make someone puke for weeks that they shouldn’t worry about is getting-Jughead. You piece of shit. How dare you not tell me?” She was whispering at her phone now, eyes wide, studying Jughead’s face to make sure she was right.

“There’s nothing to tell that Betty’s willing to share yet for fear of bad things happening, so if there’s something to tell, which there isn’t, we would tell you next time you visit.” He tried to explain, surprised when Jelly sniffles and lets tears fall from her eyes.

“Congrats, big Brother. For having nothing to tell me.”

“Thank you. If she finds out you know she’ll fucking kill me, Jells. Please.”

“I would never let her know. Ever. Oh my god. You so suck! I love you.”

“I love you too.” He sighed again, this time rubbing his face, feeling exhausted.

“What’s wrong? You’re not thinking of bailing, are you? Jughead, I swear to god if you-“

“No! No, I’m…I’m ecstatic about the non-news. A lot happened when you were taken away, JB, and it’s all coming back to bite me in the ass. I’m scared. I’m really fucking scared that I’ll go to war with a gang again to protect my family and I’ll end up like dad. Betty deserves the universe, fuck the moon, she deserves everything, and I’m…I’m barely anything at all. Just a bunch scraps pulled together to form a semblance of a person who isn’t worthy of the life she’s giving me. She’s giving up a lot and I’m…I’ll end up just like him.”

“No you wont. The fact that you’re scared at all proves that. Don’t get involved with this gang bullshit, Jug.”

“They were in my house, JB. They talked to my kid. I keep trying to seem strong for Betty but…”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you need me there? I can take a semester off, it’s not a big deal.”

“NO! No, the last thing I need is more family close to the danger.”

“I’m sorry. How can I help?”

“I don’t know. I thought about moving us somewhere far, but I can’t do that either, what would happen to all these kids we take care of?”

“Sometimes you have to look out for you first.”

“I can’t. There aren’t any choices left other than fight.”

On the other side of the door, Betty had stopped, not to snoop, her intent had been going in to wish JB a good night and drag Jughead to bed, but she had stopped to listen when he’d said he was scared of ending up like FP. Suddenly, Betty felt guilty, she’d been so worried, so open about her fears that he’d felt forced to be strong. She hadn’t been a good partner, she hadn’t listened, she shook her head and put a smile on when she knocked on the door.

“Are you coming to bed, Jug?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I am. Night, JB. I love you.”

“Love you too, Jug. Think about what I said, okay? I don’t mind and…I think it might be good for all of us.”

With that, Jughead turned off his computer and followed Betty up the stairs, mentioning JB was doing great in classes even though they hadn’t talked about that at all.


	20. A Place for Barbecues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead and Betty have that barbecue they talked about and as Theo questions things Betty gets a clue about the Ghoulies, one that had been staring at her and she hadn't noticed before. 
> 
> **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**  
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -This chapter is short, but I felt it was the right place to end it, sorry.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

“Hmm…” Said Theo, slapping the cheek of the man holding him up this sunny Saturday and tilting his little head before poking his eye for the third time already. “Hmmmmm…Is it true you’re my grandpa?”

The kids had been playing with the sprinklers, running under high sprays that were that way on purpose, making rainbows all around them when FP had walked in that morning with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a coffee cake from the grocery store, looking a little green and very nervous and scared, which in turn had made Betty smile. He had even brought a gift, which he’d left in the car for Betty and Jughead to check and make sure it was appropriate, turned out, the collection of children’s books could not have been more perfect given that as soon as Theo realized his parents both read before bed, he had insisted to start doing the same.

“Ow.” He said when his eye got poked again, “Well…I’m Jughead’s dad so that makes me your grandpa.” He nodded, his right eye now permanently closed as Theo continued to poke it. “Ow! Why are you touching my eye?” He asked calmly, knowing that if he stepped even a toe out of line he could lose it all. Initially, he hadn’t wanted to pick him up, afraid he wasn’t allowed to or that he could hurt Theo somehow, he didn’t remember ever really picking up his children and that had made him feel sad for them that they had gotten stuck with him as a father at his worst time, but then Theo had demanded ‘UP!’ and when FP had told him it was better for him to go play with the other kids, Theo had only said it louder and louder until Betty walked by with a sigh and said ‘pick him up before he decides to climb.’ With a roll of her eyes, and here they were now, having an odd conversation consisting mostly of his eye getting poked by the curious little kid.

“Because.” He said with a shrug, “You never came to see me before and it bothers me and my poking your eye bothers you.” He said simply chewing on the inside of his cheek, “Shay said it’s called an eyeball for an eyeball.” He said proudly, remembering the words the older girl had used while having a conversation with other older kids.

“You know, your dad used to do that too to get my attention.”

“Really?!” Theo lit up bright and happy, loving every time he discovered he had something in common with his parents.

“Mhmm. It usually earned him a spanking.” FP answered, blinking open his eye finally only to see an undisturbed Theo shrug again.

“You can’t spank me. Mommy would kick your…” He looked behind FP where Betty was preparing the meat for Jughead to barbecue, making sure she wasn’t listening, though, of course she was. “Your butt.” He whispered and it took a lot of self-control for Betty not to giggle. She didn’t want Theo to think saying such things was okay, but she really didn’t want him striking ‘butt’ from his vocabulary only to replace it with something worse, so she pretended not to hear for now.

“I think she would, too. Did she tell you I got you a gift?”

“Really?” His eyes were big and surprised, like he wasn’t expecting anything from anyone, and it broke FP’s heart knowing his children would have been the same way because expecting things from him only ever ended up in disappointment.

“Really, but I’ll give it to you after lunch…if you have all your veggies.” Theo scoffed,

“I always have all my veggies! Right mommy?”

“Right, Sweetheart. Wanna help daddy with the barbecue?”

“Nope!”

“No?” This surprised her immensely, but the little boy shook his head.

“No. I think Grandpa should help Daddy because he’s never here and I think Daddy deserves time with his daddy too!”

“Oh, no, I don’t think Jug needs my-“ FP began saying but then Betty stretched her arms to take Theo.

“You know what, Theo? That’s very sweet, and I think you’re right, I think it would be nice for them to spend time together, do you want to help me taste test the desserts?” She asked with a waggle of her eyebrows and whistling to get all the kids in the kitchen and away from the backyard where they were running far too close to the barbecue for her liking.

“Momma?” Theo asked a few minutes later while he licked clean a spoon with brownie batter identical to the spoon every other kid had gotten.

“Yes?”

“Umm…Daddy’s dad is my grandpa.” He said, eyebrows furrowed, thinking hard, “Is Mrs. Cooper my grandma even though she doesn’t want you? Because my other mom isn’t my mom anymore because she didn’t want me. Is Mrs. Cooper not your mom anymore?” He tilted his head.

Betty felt like she’d been kicked in the stomach, the wind knocked out of her, her lungs burned, she blinked away tears and swallowed away the lump in her throat.

“Mrs. Cooper isn’t a nice person, Honey. I don’t want her saying mean things to you, so…I think I don’t want her as a mom either.” She said, her voice breaking. As much of a monster as Alice was, she was still her mother, and it hurt not to be able to tell her that she was a mother now, that she was pregnant. She thought of Polly, wondered if she could trust her sister with this, but Theo’s wellbeing was on the line, and that risk was simply too big to take.

“I think Mrs. Cooper would like grandpa. Daddy told me Grandpa used to be bad but now he’s trying to be good and maybe Mrs. Cooper needs to learn to be good too.” He said and she couldn’t help but smile and kiss his cheek.

“Maybe, Little One. I’ll think about it.”

*** * ***

“Your son sent me to help because I don’t spend enough time with ya, Jug. But I can just-“

“Good, here, help me with this,” He handed FP meat to salt and stood to the side for him to join him on the too-big barbecue he had indulged in when he built the house. Betty had asked him to please be civil today, but more than that, he wanted to give it a real try, if FP wanted to be part of Theo’s life, he had to be part of his, too and this was a start. “He’s glad you’re here.” Jughead said and FP didn’t miss that this probably meant Jug wasn’t glad he was here at all, FP didn’t blame him.

“He poked my eye…a lot. I might go blind now.” FP grumbled, making Jughead laugh.

“Yeah, he went through a phase that lasted two weeks where he would pull my hair because my grimacing made him laugh. I’ll have a bald spot in a year if he doesn’t stop it for good.” He shook his head with a soft smile in place.

“I wouldn’t mind going blind in one eye if he smiles at me like that, though. I really am sorry, Jug, about…fuck, about a lot. About it all, and I’m sure you remember more than I do.”

“Look, dad, I thought about this, I really have. We’ll have to talk about it all eventually, we’ll have to clear the air and do all that, but we’ll have to do it alone because it’s going to end up in angry yelling and right now, this is about Theo. Theo deserves a proper family, so I will give you a chance. No talk about the past for now, let’s just focus on now and going forward.”

“You deserved a proper family too, Jug.”

“Yeah, I did. But we can’t change that.”

“Thank you for giving me a chance.”

“Yeah…yeah, dad. So…the guys? Are they around?”

“They’ve been on the look out 24/7, we have no idea where the vermin is hidin’ but I swear to you I will find them and we will take care of them however we have to. Somethin’s up, though and we can’t figure it out, why show up again now? Why stay low? They never bothered with that before.”

“Thanks. Keep me updated. I have a lot to take care of here.” He shook his head, “I think it was all too good, I don’t deserve this much good, so karma is trying to take it all back.”

“I see that you have a lot to take care of and I dun know what people deserve, but there are plenty who deserve nothing and have it all three times over. Your family will be good. You’ll be good. I’ll make damn sure of that.”

*** * ***

“Momma?”

“Yes, Little One?” She asked, pulling the disposable plates and cutlery she’d purchased for the barbecue.

“Why is Grandpa here?” He bit his bottom lip, both hands playing with the hem of his shirt, she recognized it as something she did when she was anxious and made a mental note to stop herself in the future, wondering if anxiety was something that could be passed down by behavior alone.

“Because he wants to meet you and get to know you and be part of our family.” She said sweetly, kissing his hair and moving to grab napkins.

“Is he here to help Daddy fight the monsters?” He asked then, his voice small and shy and she sighed, she hated that he was so aware, she wanted him and all the kids to feel safe here, clearly, she had failed them.

“Well, a lot of people are going to help us fight the monsters because I want you to be safe, okay?”

“I’m sorry.” He whispered and this caught her attention, she moved towards him and held his little hands.

“What are you sorry for, Love?”

“The monsters follow me. When I was with my other mom they also followed me. And here they stayed away when Lia fought them but then Lia and Liam were gone and the monsters came back. They follow me, Mommy.” He pouted, clearly ready to start crying and she held him against her chest.

“You did nothing wrong, Theo. Nothing at all. Monsters are evil and they like to hold on to the best, sweetest, brightest thing around, but your Daddy and your Grandpa and I, we’re going to get rid of the monsters forever. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Mommy.”

Betty thought back, this wasn’t the first time Theo mentioned Lia fighting the monsters. Once, she had stayed in his room all night, with him waking up time and time again to make sure she was there in case the monsters came. At that time she had thought the monsters were imaginary, lived under the bed and could do no more than scare him a little, but now she was worried and more than that, she was wondering what exactly Lia and Liam had to do with this, they had gone missing over a backpack of drugs too, there was too much that was too similar and something wasn’t right, Betty could feel it in her bones that there was a very big, very obvious part of the puzzle missing.


	21. Hell is a Place Too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When it rains, it pours. Will they make it through torrential rains?
> 
>  **I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!**  
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -I'm sorry about this chapter. Truthfully, I am. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Part of Betty’s routine, which she was trying not to deviate from to keep some semblance of control over her life, included stopping by her house after lunch at Jughead’s shop to check the mail and clean a little. Even fully finished and unused, the lack of furniture seemed to invite dust and sand that seemed to come out of nowhere. It was during this terribly mundane part of her day that she found a heavy, expensive envelope in her mailbox.

Peaked, she turned it, put it to the light, making sure there wasn’t any type of powder or other such substance inside, feeling paranoid and stupid, and decided to go back to the shop and have Jughead look at it before opening it. The handwriting was complex cursive, a script that looked hand-made but probably by some who’s sole job was to write invitations and the like. As she drove, she kept looking at it on the passenger seat as if it were ready to explode or burn a hole through the car somehow. She parked quickly and with the envelope in hand walked in with purpose.

Jughead looked at her with eyebrows high, an amused look on his face, “Want more, baby?” He smirked but her lack of reply and smile told him something was wrong, so he approached her, slowly reaching for the envelope she held out to him and studied it. “What is this?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t gotten anything but junk mail at that address, and this is…”

“Fancy.” Jughead nodded, also held It up to look at it under the light, but not much was visible with such a thick envelope, he could only assume that the paper inside it would also be thick and fancy. He pushed her behind him and opened it with a knife before shaking the contents out on the floor slowly to make sure there wasn’t anything in it other than a letter, and when no substances came out, he took the letter out and handed it to her without reading it, after all, it wasn’t his mail.

Betty read it twice before handing it over. “Someone wants to buy my house anonymously.”

“Oh…Yeah, FP told me about this, you’re not the first to get this letter.”

“They’re offering me a million dollars for my house.” She said confused and as he read it over he nodded.

“Yup, that seems to be the case.”

“Jug, that house is worth a quarter of that, something’s up.”

“Look, Bets, I know it’s your house, and you love it and you worked hard for it and you fixed it beautifully…but this brings up a good question, what are you going to do with it? Are you still thinking of moving out?” Jughead guided her to sit at the table they had just eaten at not thirty minutes prior, mindlessly pulling her back to his front so he could lay a hand on her growing belly. It was tiny, barely there still but it made him smile every time.

“Why does it matter? Why can’t I just keep it?”

“Taxes, expenses, I’m not saying you can’t but you also can’t leave it abandoned, sitting there, cleaning it for no reason.”

“Maybe I’ll rent it? I mean, I’m not going to be moving out any time soon, but I don’t want to get rid of it, Jug.”

“Okay…It’s your decision, Baby, you have my full support.”

“Especially for a million dollars. Anyone who has that much money to spend on something isn’t worth that much wants something else and I’m not interested.”

“Okay. Okay, then this is nothing to worry about. How do you let them know?”

“I don’t know. No name, no return address, no nothing. Maybe ask your dad? If he has seen this before maybe he knows someone who declined.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

*** * ***

“They wanna what?” Asked JB, jaw slack and shocked.

“Yeah, a million bucks. Something’s not right. I told her it was nothing, probably some developer, but dad’s heard about properties getting this same damn letter. Even the Wyrm got one.”

“It doesn’t sound like a coincidence that the Ghoulies come back and suddenly Riverdale has an anonymous buyer for anything they can get their hands on.”

“No, it doesn’t. But where would these idiots get that kind of money, I mean, let’s be real, does anyone even do JJ anymore? You’re in college, you should know.”

“Excuse you. I would never touch the stuff. But nah, people went back to the reliables, weed, molly, coke.”

“JB, swear to me that you’ll never touch the stuff. I’m serious.”

“Jug, I don’t even drink soda.” She rolled her eyes.

“Why not? What’s wrong with soda? I feel _so_ attacked right now.” He joked, finding it easy to jump between serious and funny topics with his sister. His _sister_ it was surreal that he had her back and he wanted to make the most of it.

“Milkshakes are better.” She said with a shrug, and Jughead couldn’t help but smile proudly. How many milkshakes had he stolen from Pop’s for her?

“Yah, they are. Look, I don’t want you involved in this, I just had to talk to someone and I can’t have Betty freaking out about this, too. She’s already so fucking worried about the kids, and I don’t blame her, but what can we do? They’ve gone underground, nobody knows who they are or where the fuck they are, they’re keeping a low profile, that wasn’t their way. Something has to have changed.”

“Jug, I have to go to class, okay, but I’ll think on it, see if I can come up with something. I was taken away too young to understand it all, but…I’ll be in touch okay? Call me whenever.”

“Thanks Jells. Have fun in class.”

“Will do! Bye! Hey, Jug! Before I go…think about my offer, seriously. I’ll take the semester, I don’t care.”

“I care.”

“Well…then think about coming to speak to the class. Maybe you and Betty need a vacation.”

“Jells…I haven’t even taken her out on a date since our first one.”

“Damn. Work on that. Gotta go! Love you!” She signed off before he was able to reply, but that was okay, because hearing her say she loved him was more than enough to make him giddy with happiness.

*** * ***

Betty was shopping when she first thought she saw her but then she looked back and there was nobody there. Now convinced she was going crazy, Betty sighed and decided she really needed to find a way to relax, if not for her, for her pregnancy. But then, she’d been shopping for some board games and she was sure she saw that distinct flash of blonde, at the coffee shop while she picked up coffee for Jug for a surprise visit, at the shop when she went to check on things, something she hadn’t done in ages, everywhere she went she was sure she had seen Alice and yet she never saw her. Not until on Wednesday afternoon when she decided to pick up the kids from school and take the walk with them.

“Mom?” She asked, eyes wide and worried, her arms moving in widely to get all the kids near and behind her and away from Alice. “What are you doing here? I want you to leave. And don’t you dare try to talk to the kids.”

“Oh, Elisabeth, you don’t own this town. I’m here as a tourist and I intend to stay for some time. I didn’t look for you and if you choose to ignore me so be it, but I will not leave simply because you’re having a whim to kick me out.” Alice said, her tone making it clear that she thought she was better than everyone who resided here, but then, why in the world was she staying?

“Fine, I can’t kick you out, but stay away from the kids.”

“Oh, Elisabeth, sincerely, it’s like you don’t know me at all. As long as their parents allowed it, and they did, by the way, for a whole fifty dollars, I will talk to them as much as I want. They’re not yours, you seem to forget that.” Alice said cooly right as Theo pulled on Betty’s pants to be picked up. Without thinking, being used to the easy movement, Betty did just that and Theo used the opportunity to poke Alice’s nose.

“Whatever you’re doing, I want no part in it. Leave us be.”

“You’re showing.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You think I wouldn’t notice that you put on at least five pounds since I last saw you?” Alice was turning to leave when Theo called out to her.

“You’re mean. If you hurt my mommy grandpa will kick your butt! He used to be mean. But now he’s nice. You should be nice too so I can call you grandma instead of Mrs. Cooper.”

Alice turned to look at the boy who seemed angry and annoyed with her, an emotion Betty couldn’t read on her features. “Your _mommy_ hasn’t even told me that she adopted you, yet, so I hardly think I’m the mean one this time around.” And with that she was gone.

“Mommy? Don’t worry about her. You have us. We love you!” He said with both tiny hands holding her cheeks so she’d look at him and not the retreating body of her own monster.

They walked home playing I Spy and pretending everything was okay. That night, after dinner and dessert and story time, when the kids had gone upstairs and Jughead and Betty sat together for their nightly coffee and tea Betty finally broke down. It wasn’t hysterical or dramatic and there were barely any tears, but it was shocking nonetheless, because always attentive and bright Betty was staring into space and speaking so quietly that Jughead had to lean in to listen.

“I don’t know what to do.” She admitted, “I’m scared, and you’re scared too and you refuse to tell me this to keep me safe and these people want to attack my kids and my mother’s in town and this is all too much.” She sounded robotic, as if she were merely listing grocery items to purchase and if filled Jughead with dread that maybe this was the beginning of her spiraling out of control.

“Betts…Betts,” He licked his lips and reached over to grab her hands. “They haven’t come around, maybe they don’t want to attack the kids, and your mom’s here?”

“Yes…and you don’t want to meet her. She’s not even pretending to be nice anymore and I don’t know what to do because I don’t know if the Ghoulies are more of a threat or if she is!”

“You have to calm down. She can’t possibly be that bad. Let’s do this, I’ll take tomorrow off. Let me take care of the kids before and after school and just relax. Spend a day taking a bath with fancy bath salt things and get your nails done, or…read all day, I don’t know, whatever you need to do to relax. Okay?”

Betty tightened her hold of his hands and shook her head, “Why is this happening?” She asked finally meeting his eyes.

“Because life happens. It’s okay, it’s going to be okay.”

“All this would be easier if you stopped doing that, if you stopped trying to convince me and instead told me the truth. I heard you talking to JB the other day, and that’s also eating at me. Clearly I’m not a good girlfriend because apparently you feel like you’re not a whole person and I thought this had all stopped when you stopped referring to me as ‘a girl like you’ but I’m…” She let go of his hands, wiped a few stray tears and took a deep breath. “I’m scared that you’ll keep thinking like that forever and we’re having a kid, so there’s no going back now but I’m not-and I don’t want to be that girl who goes to the fancy restaurants to get looked down on, I want to go to Pop’s and I want to be enough but if you keep thinking I’m this perfect being, then I have to try to be that and I can’t. I can’t. My mother wanted me to be perfect and I’m not, and it took a long time to understand that that’s fine and all I want is to be enough for you.”

Jughead was staring, he knew it, and he knew there were words he wanted to say, he knew there was something he should do, but he was stunned into silence, unsure of how much she’d heard when he spoke to JB. He didn’t so much as move until she sighed and started getting up.

“No! Wait. Sit. I…sit. I need to think for a minute.”

Betty didn’t want to, she wanted to run away upstairs and pretend to be asleep when he got there, but she didn’t and instead sat down as he’d asked, hands on her lap, eyes on her hands.

“That’s a lot…first, you’re so much more than enough. You’re the most amazing person, Betts, I’m the one who isn’t enough and I wish you could tell that I’m not so that you can run away if you want. I’m scared everyday that you’ll wake up and suddenly realize it that I’m a gang member who wanted nothing more that to die for a very long time and that even my parents didn’t want me, Betty, so how am I supposed to believe that someone like you would want me? And before you say anything when I say ‘someone like you’ it’s…it’s not what you think. It’s someone who’s smart and beautiful and funny and kind and sweet and fucking amazing in bed and willing to have my kid even though we’ve only been on one date and someone who…someone who deserved the whole world. You could have anyone and instead you have me and you seem happy but how do I make sure you stay happy? Because this is it. This is all I’ll ever be able to give you. I’m not more than this.”

“That’s it! That’s what you don’t understand! You’re more than enough for me too! You’re not some…what was it? Gang member who was suicidal and whatever? I was suicidal too, for a long time, and I do want you because you’re also smart and you’re also gorgeous, you’re also funny and kind and sweet and fucking amazing in bed and willing to have a kid with me even though we’ve only been on one date and you also deserve the world. Here’s the thing, Jug, you may not know it but you did give me the world. You’re my home and my family and all I’ve ever wanted in life was a family. Why can’t that be enough for me? Is it enough for you?”

“Enough? Betty…I thought I’d be dead by now, I never dreamed I would have a family.”

“Then why is it so hard?

“Because neither of us think it’s real.” He shrugged and though it sounded ridiculous, betty deflated at the realization that he was right. Neither of them thought they were enough, neither of them thought this was real and yet, here they were pregnant and in love and together and in the middle of an accidental family.

“I need you to be honest with me, Jug. I heard you tell JB that you’re scared, I need to know these things. I’m supposed to be your partner.”

“I’m terrified,” he admitted, “I’m terrified that they’ll hurt you or the kids and that I’ll attack to protect you and end up like my dad. God, I don’t ever want to be like him.”

Betty moved to sit on his lap and rest her head on his shoulder, feeling tired and worn out and scared and overwhelmed. She took a deep breath and hummed.

“You smell like sawdust.”

“I’ll go shower.”

“You always smell like sawdust…I like it.” She smiled against his skin. “I don’t know what’s happening. I don’t know why everything’s so…fucked up. I just want it to be over so we can be happy again.”

“Me too, Baby.”

“I was thinking about what JB said about you going to speak to her class.” She said seemingly out of the blue, though it wasn’t, her mind was in such shambles that all thoughts were an amalgamation of everything going on, no longer did each thought have it’s own path. “Next week the kids have spring break, but I talked to JB, hers doesn’t start until two weeks after, you should go then. I’ll have them all in the house, so we’ll be safe and I’ll figure out activities, it’ll be great.”

Jughead bit his bottom lip, he desperately wanted to go, but he knew he shouldn’t, there was too much danger, too much trouble, too much evil right now. He shook his head. “You really should go, Jug, you deserve this.”

It was early the next morning, the kids were running around the usual morning routine, double checking they had the homework, having breakfast, braiding hair, making jokes and Jughead was lugging around like a zombie mumbling about hooligans all over making the kids laugh, to which he only ever replied with a wink. It was a morning like every other, which was one of the many reasons, along with the fact that they never had company that when there was a knock on the door Betty felt her heart sink, nothing good had been happening recently, and so, she assumed the worst. It was Jughead, barefoot and in his pajamas who lifted his body from the perfectly delectable lean against the counter and walked to the door, glaring at it as if it was it’s fault someone dared disrupt his coffee time. He barely opened it at all and had a hushed conversation before closing it and turning to Betty.

“It’s the Sheriff, wants to speak with you.”

“Ms. Cooper go there!” started saying the kids pointing in different directions, “Hide! Police always take people away!” She sighed, thinking they would need to talk about the fact that police was good…but knowing she wouldn’t be sure if she meant it with the climate as it was all over the country, after all, it was usually the poor who paid the highest price for being alive.

“Did he?” She started to ask but Jughead shook his head.

“Can’t tell me anything. It’s a private matter and I have no relation to you.” He said, his jaw set on a stiff, hard line, clearly he hadn’t liked being told that and she tucked it along with the hundred things they would have to talk about when they weren’t dealing with this much. She walked to the door and closed it behind her once outside so the kids didn’t hear and smiled sweetly at the Sherriff.

“Hello, good morning, would you like a cup of coffee?”

“No, thank you, Ma’am,” Said the older man with a sweet smile, taking off his hat and holding it to his chest. “This isn’t my jurisdiction, you see, but I was told I would find you here.”

“Right, is everything okay?”

“I’m afraid not. Your house on the North Side of Riverdale Proper has been vandalized and this letter was taped to it.” He handed her the letter in a zip lock bag. “I’ll need it back, but I thought you might want to read it.”

“Thank you very much for coming all this way. Umm…can you…give me a second?” Her smile never wavered as she turned back and looked into the house, most of the kids were lining up and nearly ready. “Jug! Come here. Please!” She said with urgency and he did, joining her and the Sherriff on his porch. The letter was the same paper, the same font, but now it was a threat, a much lower offer for the house with ominous ‘or we’ll drive you out’.

“Did they leave anything else?” Asked Jughead and the Sherriff shook his head, hesitating. “What is it?”

“I have a picture of the graffiti if you want to see it, but I advice against it. Whoever did this, we’ll find them.”

“I want to see it.” She said, eyebrows furrowed and the man looked at Jughead who nodded, he wanted to see it too. The graffiti consisted of two things, the words “Serpent Slut” in bright red and a crown in black crossed over with red.

“We think it was two different people. Someone made the crown and then-“

“It was one person.” Jughead said then. “The crown is me. It’s a threat against us.” He said seriously and turned to go into the house. From the outside Betty heard him say ‘alright! Let’s go! Today I’m walking with you to the bus stop!” The kids cheered but she felt cold and confused and unsure.

“Thank you for coming all this way, Sherriff. I umm…I appreciate it. I’ll have that painted today.” She said, feeling a little lightheaded and winded suddenly.

“You can’t paint it yet, we’ll let you know when you can.”

“Oh. Alright. Thank you again.” She tried to smile, but her whole body felt weak and tired.

When she walked back in, Jughead was gone with the kids and she felt a pain so sharp on her stomach she cried out and held on to the couch, nearly doubling over, looking around for her phone and barely managing to sit on the couch as another stab-like pain hit her, Alices voice echoing in her mind ‘this is what Serpent Sluts deserve.’

“No….no, no, no…please, God, no-AAAH!” She cried moving a hand between her legs where she felt warm liquid and bringing it up to see blood. “JUGHEAAAAH!” 


	22. Love Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jughead deal with the fear of loss, meanwhile FP prepares for war and meets Alice Cooper.
> 
> I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!  
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -I'm sorry about having taken so long to write this. I rewrote it 4 times and it's just taken a lot from me for some reason. I really am sorry about the wait. I'll do my best to go back to posting often. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Betty sat in bed with her back to the headboard and hands neatly folded over her covered lap, staring into space, eyes filled with tears, unseeing.

“Hey, Betty,” Whispered JB, when she walked in, carefully perching herself on the edge of the bed over the three duvets and two blankets Jughead had draped over her when they had gotten back from the hospital in hopes she would stop shaking uncontrollably. She was sure that she hadn’t only been shaking out of exhaustion. Still, she turned to JB and smiled, always trying to be polite and sweet and happy, but it fell short, her smile didn’t reach her cheeks, let alone her eyes and even though she was looking at JB she wasn’t really seeing her at all.

“Hey! You shouldn’t have come, really, everything is fine!” She tried for conversational and easy, put together even, but instead her voice broke and KB scooted next to her so they were sitting shoulder to shoulder and pulled her into a side hug, which Betty took greedily, tears now falling freely without a sound, as if they knew the path they were to take.

Downstairs, Jughead took care of the kids and the questions. “Ms. Cooper is okay, she’s just a little sick”, “No, we won’t go bother her today, maybe tomorrow she’ll feel a little better”, “Yes, you can make her a get well soon card, but only after homework”, and then, to a very worried looking Theo “I’ll tell her you love her, Squirt. I promise.” Jughead did his best to help ease the worries, but the kids were perceptive and he was feeling anything but calm and cheery, after all, having gotten home to clean blood from his living room floor wasn’t something he imagined ever doing again. What was he supposed to say to her? What was he supposed to do? He thought about ordering Pop’s, but Pop’s had always been for celebrations and happiness, so instead, he ordered pizza, thinking he should go buy her a milkshake or something-anything, to lift her spirits.

*** * ***

“Hey, Be-“ the joke died on his lips when he came in through the back door and heard the sobs. He ran to her, and found her doubled over, her pants covered in blood, a hand on her stomach and another, bloody, held out.

“Help me,” She had begged an he couldn’t stop thinking about that, he couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that he hesitated and she had to add a barely audible ‘please’ before he reacted and went into overdrive, having picked her up and sped through Riverdale honking and flashing his lights to any car nearby for them to move out of the way. He ran into Riverdale General with her in his arms, her face buried on his chest as she cried uncontrollably.

“Help her! Oh, god, please help her! She’s pregnant!” He had said to a nurse who had at first seemed annoyed and impatient at the noise he was making but then spotted Betty’s pants and her eyes, too, widened, making Jughead’s stomach flip, maybe she wasn’t anymore.

They had gotten Betty on a gurney and told him to stay outside three times, a security guard having had to hold him back from going in even as Betty cried for him to please hold her.

*** * ***

“It’s okay,” said JB now, “I want to be here. My professors are going to let me finish classes online, probably so I can help with the kids.” She smiled sweetly, rubbing soft, calming circles on Betty’s back making her wonder if anyone had ever been this careful with her. JB’s job right now was get Betty to react, to say something, anything, in fact she would settle for her being angry and throwing things, seeing like this, not so much as blinking was terrifying. Betty took a loud, deep breath, making JB think she would say something, but she didn’t.

*** * ***

Betty remembered pain, cold and white, but what she remembered most was Jughead’s look of horror and fear. He had been her lifeline and then she’d been put on a gurney and taken away from him even as she held out an arm begging for him to stay with her while a guard held him back. He had looked terrified and she could hear him say “please help her” time and time again.

Jughead had sat on the waiting room, squinting, elbows on knees, face in his hands. It was too white, the light was too bright, the snack machine buzzed too loudly, the kid with the cold wouldn’t shut up for a second, a woman spoke on her phone even sitting next to a “no cell phones” sign, and he felt trapped and murderous. He stood suddenly, too suddenly for his body to adjust and got a little dizzy before walking out of the hospital for air. Air…he wished he was still a smoker, mindlessly reaching into his pocket and coming up instead with his cell phone, he stared at it, these were the times when he wished he had friends.

“Yo! Big bro, waddup, waddup, waddup?” JB sounded happy and he wished he had it in him to mock her for the way she picked up but he didn’t, and he didn’t want to ruin her happiness either. He must been quiet for too long, because she spoke again, “Jug? What’s going on?” The concern was clear in her tone and that killed him, he ruined everyone’s happiness.

“I-I don’t think I’ll be a dad anymore.” He whispered, unsure if the sound had even made the trip from his thoughts to his mouth. “Betty’s in the hospital.” He managed with a little more volume.

“I’m coming.” Was the only think JB said that Jughead heard, everything else was static to him, not even remembering hanging up and going back inside and reacting only when he was called in to see her.

Jughead walked looking down at his feet, not really understanding how he was managing to walk at all when he didn’t feel a single part of his body. Once in the room he shook his head in an attempt to wake up, to snap out of it, but he didn’t manage it, even when he finally did look up at the bed and winced. Betty looked so small, she always did, but right then with the IV looking intrusive and big and dangerous and that stupid thing on her finger making the monitor behind her beep with her pulse, she looked like a delicate flower, shaking violently with metal all around her.

“She’s in shock.” Said a doctor Jughead hadn’t noticed at all, she was a pretty, plump woman with worry lines etched on her forehead from years of seeing women like Betty break down with loss. This seemed to wake him up enough to walk towards Betty, taking her hand carefully and leaving a kiss on her hair. “The baby’s okay,” said the doctor then and Jughead turned back to look at her as if she had grown a second head. How could that possibly be true with all the blood there had been? “This isn’t…uncommon when there’s high stress during a first pregnancy. She’ll need bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy, no stress, no physical activity, no standing for any longer than strictly necessary. Okay?” The doctor was speaking to Jughead but looking at Betty, who nodded, seemingly catatonic staring blankly into space.

“I’ll make sure of it, Doc.” Said Jughead and let out a relieved breath.

“If you have any questions-“

“I’m still going to be a dad?” He interrupted, his eyes big, round and full of unshed tears, now finally starting to understand everything that was happening. Jughead Jones, tough guy, feared by all of the Northside and respected by all of the Southside, looked afraid and vulnerable. The doctor smiled, a small, barely there smile and nodded.

“Yes, of a healthy baby if Elisabeth follows the rules and stays in bed.”

“Thank you.” He said, but it more breath than voice, choked and relieved and still afraid and tears fell.

The drive home had been too quiet, the radio seemed too loud, so Jug had turned it off, and Betty sat too straight, her hands neatly folded on her lap, staring out the window.

“I’m sorry,” She whispered so low he had to look at her to make sure she’s spoken at all. “I’m such a bad mother.” She looked down at her hands.

“What? No! Betts, you’re not. This was just stress, this was just…”

“If I could manage it like a normal person, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Nobody could possibly be okay with everything going on, Betty. It’s going to be okay. It is.” He said, feeling unsure.

Once in the house he had carried her up the stairs, and started running a hot bath with bubbles and bath salts before he carefully helped her out of the bloody pants and sweater. Once the water was high enough he shut it he got naked himself, helping her in and against his chest so he could hold her close, needing her to stop shaking. He kissed her head a hundred times, he told her it would be okay another hundred, but she didn’t seem to be listening. Still, she curled in against him, and he decided to take that as a good sign. When the water was cold and he had washed all of her, the water pink and a little muddy, he helped her out, immediately wrapping her in the biggest, softest towel they had, drying her and getting her into her favorite pajamas, as he tucked her in bed he noticed for the second time that day how small she was. She had leaned into him when he kissed her hair again.

“I love you.” He said to her hair before moving to find extra blankets noticing she was still shaking, she didn’t answer, after all, how could he possibly love her when she had nearly killed his child…twice? And then the sound of kids filtering into the living room downstairs interrupted her thoughts.

JB had arrived a couple of hours later to a rowdy and confused living room full of children too distracted to do their homework and pulled Jughead into a tight, constricting hug asking how she was, and what was happening and Jughead had mumbled his way through it for the kids not to be able to really understand anything. As far as they understood, Ms. Cooper was sick and yes, they could make a card, no, it wasn’t contagious, and no, she didn’t really feel up to having kids in the room yet. JB told him a hundred times that everything would be okay, and he had nodded, he had smiled, he had sighed, but he had never agreed, he didn’t know if everything would be okay, “everything” was comprised of too much to tackle right then. Jelly had insisted she could take care of the kids while he went to take care of Betty but Jughead refused, not knowing what to say or how to act around her.

And there they were now, with JB on the bed with Betty and Jughead downstairs with the kids.

“He hates me.” Betty spoke,

“He doesn’t hate you. He’s just scared.” She tried to explain, but it sounded stupid even to her own ears, after all, nobody could be more scared than Betty.

“I hate me. When I found out I was pregnant I wanted to abort. I even made an appointment. I was so scared he wasn’t ready or wouldn’t want us anymore. I deserve this. But he doesn’t.”

“Absolutely not.” Jelly said with a stern, motherly tone. “Nobody deserved this. It’s going to be okay.”

“What am I going to do? The kids need me.”

“I’ll take care of them for now. That’s what I came for, and I’ll stay until everything is as it should be.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t. I love my brother, and my brother loves you, so I’m at your service, Ms. Betty Cooper…and hopefully this gets me in a position where you’ll give me good dirt I can blackmail him with one day.” She joked. Usually Betty would have laughed happily and freely at that but she only mustered a smile.

“JB?” Betty whispered and looked at her, “I’m scared.” She didn’t want to say it loudly lest anyone find out. Betty Cooper wasn’t one to fear anyone or anything, but this…this was a monster she couldn’t fight with a gun.

“It’s okay, everything will be okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure that we’ll do whatever it takes, Betty.”

“Okay.”

*** * ***

“Put them in the basement.” FP said when a small truck pulled up full of boxes. He was holding the largest mug he owned full of tea but he could feel himself slipping, wanting to throw the tea in a potted plant and replace it with whiskey. He was tired, he’d been working relentlessly and now that the guns had arrived they could start planning their attack. He rubbed his face with his free hand and sighed, he had failed his son too many times to count, this mattered, but sending his men into battle with ghosts who weren’t making themselves known or so much as coming out for anything other than petty vandalism seemed ridiculous. Something else was up, they all knew it, they just didn’t know what.

He watched people move boxes to the basement, standing by the open door to make sure nothing went magically missing and once everything was in, he locked it. The time to explain what was happening was running out, and he wasn’t sure how he would explain that he had no idea, but it warranted this amount of ammo.

Meanwhile making her way all over Riverdale, Alice and her notebook noticed everything. She had never been a good wife or a good mother or so much as a good friend, but she was a great reporter and whatever was brewing, whatever her tip had warned her about was certainly real. This town seemed to all be related, it seemed to all be one huge putrid family and the strings, ironically enough were being pulled by money she recognized even from a mile away, so she got to writing what she had meant to be a short article to fill a spot in their newspaper, but the more she wrote and saw, the more she realized this was an exposé.

“FP Jones?” Alice asked with all the authority of a Journalist. When he was pointed out she walked to him, “FP Jones, Alice Cooper.” She extended her hand.

*** * ***

“I wanna see Mommy!” Theo complained, tapping the paper in front of him with a pencil and refusing to do anything else.

“She’s sleeping, Little One.”

“That’s okay! I’ll be very quiet, I promise!” He whined.

“We know, but she’s sick, and she doesn’t want to see anyone right now, okay? She’ll be better soon.” Tried Jughead, but clearly, it was the wrong thing to say because Theo’s eyes filled with tears and he hugged his knees to his chest.

“M-Mommy doesn’t wanna see me?” He cried and Jug picked him up, shushing and kissing him, trying to come up something to explain that that wasn’t it…even if it was. “Does she not love me anymore?”

“Oh, Theo…of course she loves you. She’s just sick is all.”

“When I’m sick I like to cuddle with her. Doesn’t she want to cuddle with me?” It broke Jelly’s heart, and Jughead’s was already broken so they did the best they could to calm the little boy down.

“How about you come with me and we make her a really nice get well soon card while your dad checks on her?” Asked Jellybean, desperate to make Theo smile and to force her brother to go check on Betty and stop avoiding her.

“Okay. Tell her, daddy, tell her I want to cuddle so she feels better, okay? I miss her.” Theo sounded serious and Jughead stopped himself from pointing out that Theo had seen her that morning because it was so easy to miss someone when you weren’t sure they were coming back, even if they had been there only a minute prior, instead, he nodded and headed up.

He walked into the room quietly, unsure of whether she’d be awake at all. She didn’t seem to be, so he just toed off his shoes, got in the bed and spooned her, his hand moving up and down her arm, caressing her, and slowly moving to her still-flat stomach, it was too early for anything to show, but he desperately wanted it to. He needed to see that the baby was alright, not through a machine, not through a doctor’s word but through Betty. He sighed and tightened his hold around her.

“I love you,” he whispered, “I know you don’t believe me right now, but I love you. I’m so excited and happy to be a dad to this baby, but god, Betty…I can’t imagine being without you. If I had to choose…I’d choose you a hundred times, it’s…it’s so early in the pregnancy and you could get pregnant again if anything were to happen, and it’s not that I want anything bad to happen, of course I don’t, but you’re my priority right now, I need you to be okay because I love you so much more than words allow me to express. You’re my partner, we have a wonderful boy together already and I’m scared that I’ll lose you for good. God, I can’t lose you, Betts.” He whispered it all so low, needing to get it out but not wanting to wake her.

Betty shifted and turned, facing him, her eyes fluttering open and falling shut again. He was here, that’s all she needed to know, he was here, they would be okay.


	23. From a Place of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family starts to settle into a new routine and even though fear is still around, love is so much stronger...and Alice is still in town.
> 
> I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!  
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -Things are starting to fall into place and the last chapters are a little a little jumbled, but I hope you like them <3
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

The morning should have felt weird, it should have been difficult and horrible and painful and confusing, but Betty hadn’t slept much at all, thinking instead, and when the time came, she demanded Jughead help her downstairs before all the kids got up and she set up the counter with JB so she could still cook, but sitting down. If she did nothing, she’d go crazy, and for her own mental stability she needed to try to keep their routine as intact as she could.

“MOMMY!!!” Theo was the first one down, usually cranky in the mornings and very eye-rubby like his dad, but today, seeing her made him wake up as well as Jughead’s fourth cup of coffee helped him.

“Hey, Little One!” She smiled sweetly as he ran to her and promptly climbed on her lap.

“I missed you. I didn’t like it. Hi, Belly.” He tapped the belly carefully, thinking back to how careful Jughead had been, “Are you still sick?”

“Well, I’m a little sick,” She said with a nod, “But it’s not for you to worry about. I’m going to be just fine…but…I am going to need a special helper, who do you think I should ask?”

“Daddy!” Theo said happily.

“That’s good…but Daddy works, and he’s so, SO tired when he gets home, maybe someone else.”

“Aunty Jelly!” He pointed at the woman on the stove.

“Maybe, but she’s going to be taking care of all of you, so she’ll be very busy too.”

“Ummm…” He thought with this tiny eyebrows drawn in while JB took over easily serving the kids and double checking they had lunches and homework, she really was a miracle, Betty thought. “Mommy? Can I be your speshul helper?” He asked with very wide eyes, his hands holding her face. “I have to do homework but I can be a good helper! I promise.”

“Hmm…I think…Hmmm….”

“Please? I want you to be better.”

“Hmmm…I think…I couldn’t have a better helper than you!” She poked his nose and he giggled, the sound nearly brought tears to her eyes it was so beautiful.

Eventually, she had moved to the couch, sighing when JB and Jughead both hovered as if in one day she’d forgotten how to walk, it was just a few steps and god, she couldn’t spend the next 8 months laying down.

“Today we’re picking colors!” Jelly announced after she’d come back from walking the kids to the bus stop.

“Colors?” Asked Jughead, confused.

“Yup! Nursery colors!” She said happily and Jughead tried shaking his head. It was too soon, too much could happen still, getting attached wasn’t the best choice for them to make, but before he could say anything, Betty spoke up.

“Pastel yellow and green. A rocking chair in the corner, a crib by the window and a changing table by the door.” Her eyes were far away, like she had thought about this for a very long time, and it broke Jughead’s heart seeing her hands protectively over her belly, shaking slightly, surely thinking about the fact that had nearly lost it all. “A small nook that wont have much of anything now, but it’ll become a tiny library fort with a table where Theo can teach the baby how to read.” She sighed and then looked up at them, “Sorry.” She finally said, snapping out of it and looking up with a smile. “I’ve had some time to think about it already.”

“It sounds perfect. I was thinking I could stay home today, do some writing, we can have lunch together.” He smiled hopefully, they hadn’t really talked yet, but he wanted to, and more than that, he wanted to stay close to her, to make sure she was as alright as she could be.

“Well, while you two gross lovebird do your thing I’m going to go get everything out of my old room to put it in my new room!” Jellybean announced, noticing that something had shifted, that they needed time alone. Betty looked up at her, almost asking her to stay, unsure of what to say to Jughead, but she bit her bottom lip instead and watched JB nod at her and leave up the stairs.

*** * ***

“Hi, FP, how are you today?”

“Alice.” He said with a sigh, passing her the cream for her tea while she passed him the honey across the bar. She had been going every damn day, warning him about nothing and then just…staying. He had tried to kick her out, some of the guys had even tried scaring her away, but her scoff and eye roll ended up making the guys feel bad, which made FP wonder if they were gang members or ballerinas with a shake of his head. At this point, he had gotten used to having breakfast with the blonde and had resigned himself to dealing with her crazy ‘be careful of what’s coming’ comments that sounded more like conspiracy theories than anything else, but today was different.

“I have given up. Clearly, you’re not listening to me, so I’m going to be clear. I want you to somehow get all those guns you have in the basement to the Ghoulies.” She said taking a sip of her tea while FP tried not to choke on his.

“What the fuck? Who are you?”

“Alice Cooper, I thought we had talked about this already, keep up, Forsythe.” This made him glare.

“Who. The. Fuck. Are. You? And why do you know my name?”

“I’d be a terrible reporter if after coming in here every day for a week I didn’t know your name. Listen to me, and listen closely, when I say something’s coming, I mean me. Give those guns to the Ghoulies.”

“Lady, you’re crazy. Every bone in my body is telling me to tie you up and leave you in the basement until this is done.” He rubbed his forehead.

“The tying up I wouldn’t mind, but I don’t recommend it.” She said flippantly in such a cool tone that FP had to wonder if she knew what she was saying.

“Well, it’s time for me to go, thank you for the tea, I’ll see you tomorrow, FP.” Alice got up with all the practiced grace of a woman who had never needed anything in her life.

“You have to start paying for the tea eventually.” He shot at her at a loss of what else to do.

“Hmm…That’s a thought. Give your guns to the gang and I will make sure that I pay with so much interest that you’ll feel indebted.”

FP watched her go, amazed that any woman would act in such a way, be unnerving and apparently unable to feel any fear, he was peaked, that was for sure.

*** * ***

“Hey,” Jughead sat on the floor by the couch where Betty extended from one end to the other, looking up at her.

“Hi.”

“You look beautiful, you know that? You are so…so beautiful.” He smiled a little and she looked down at her lap, blushing. “How are you doing with…everything, should I call Doctor-“

“No, no, Jug. I’m okay. I mean, I’m not great, but I’m okay.” She shrugged, “I don’t have a choice but to be okay.” She explained, “The doctor said be calm and stress free, so I’m doing my best.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I wish this wasn’t happening.”

“It’s not your fault, Jughead.”

“No, it’s not. But I’m still sorry you have to go through this.”

“Me too.”

“So, I was thinking that we should go on a date.” He announced with a smile and an eager nod. “You’re a girl who deserves dates and I want to give them to you.”

“I can’t do much of anything, Jug, I’m sorry but it doesn’t seem like I should be going anywhere right now.”

“Who said we have to go anywhere? Let me take you on dated, Betty Cooper, and I promise to be a gentleman.” She couldn’t help but smile, he always seemed to be looking out for her, he always seemed to be careful and loving and passionate all at the same time.

“Okay.” She agreed with a tiny nod of her own. “But nothing fancy.”

“Nothing too fancy.” He countered with a wink making her giggle.

Betty’s giggle died almost as soon as it began with a crash so loud upstairs that they both winced.

“JB?!” She yelled, swinging her legs over the couch ready to run upstairs.

“Holy fuck!” Came JB’s reply as she ran down the stairs to look at them. “Sorry…I umm…I may or may not but definitely did accidentally make a hole on the wall with the headboard of the bed. Also, the light broke. Also, I need a new mattress…don’t ask.”

“Are you okay?” Asked Betty, eyes frantic, even as Jughead just shook his head, clearly amused.

“What? Yeah, of course, why wouldn’t I be?” JB asked obviously confused by the idea, making Jughead chuckle and Betty give her a stern look. “Whaaaat?”

“You could have gotten hurt!”

“No I couldn’t have. I’m lucky like that. Okay! Going back up there, love birds.” She announced and left.

“She’s insane.” Said Betty under her breath but smiled.

“Yeah, she is. Hey, Betts…do you want to call your sister?”

“No.” She answered too quickly, and then again, “No, she’ll tell my mother and I don’t need her coming in and making things even more difficult. I’m sorry. You and JB and FP and the kids, this is my family, Jug, it’s all I have.”

He just nodded, he knew what it was like to grasp at straws, to call people he barely knew family because he didn’t have a real one, he knew what it was like forgetting the fact of a parent because they weren’t worth the space in his memory, even if at night, when nobody could see or hear him, the face came back along with his tears and his looming loneliness. But this was a real family, at least he wanted it to be. “So, what are we doing for our date?”

“You, Ms. Cooper, are going to sit on the counter and watch me try to cook, and once you’ve laughed so hard you’ve peed yourself a little, then we’ll order something in and eat.” He smiled, stopping a giggle half way and nodded but she was scared. He had noticed this, he’d noticed that she was trying not to go to the bathroom, not to laugh, not to speak too loudly and was constantly reminding herself to take smaller breaths, as if any of that would cause another scare, or worse, the real miscarriage. He wanted to show her that it was okay to laugh, that their baby would be happier born into the arms of a mother who had laughed for a whole nine months, happy to have the peanut and not scared of losing it.


	24. Falling into Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Change is afoot but answers are beginning to be found.
> 
> OOC: Hey guys, sorry for the super long wait, I explained on tumblr what was happening with me, so if you want a full explanation, please go read it there. I have failed at my goal, and for that I'll be writing more slowly than usual because I absolutely need a job ASAP for mental health reasons. If you know of any work-from-home opportunities, please let me know. <3 I'm desperate.
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Things weren’t back to normal, not by a long shot, but the routine had fallen into place and JB had taken over taking care of the kids where betty couldn’t, which still wasn’t as much as Jughead would have liked. Betty still made all the meals, though sitting and with help, she still did story time with him and demanded to be upstairs to tuck them in at night. Still, it surprised both Jug and Betty how JB had taken to the kids and the early morning routine with ease.

Theo had become the “Bestest Speshul Helper” having awarded himself the title while cuddling with Betty, which he did for more hours than he should really, but what mother would complain? He was constantly kissing her belly and bringing her whatever she wanted from a glass of water, leaving spills all the way, to Jughead, holding his hand and pulling with the most adorable, annoyed face he could muster saying things like “Mommy asked for you, you have to hurry. You can write later, it’s not homework!” and when Jughead tried to explain that he did have a turn-in date, Theo had just said “Oh. It IS homework. Eww. When I’m adu-an adlu-an old man like you I’ll never do homework!” This, of course, had ended up in the tickle fight of the century.

Slowly, Betty was beginning to feel better and smiling again. It helped her tremendously that the silly and simple dates Jughead put together were perfect, he never failed to make her laugh, her hand on her abdomen the whole time, still scared that the vibrations might cause trouble even without an ounce of her research saying it would. She was thinking about their dinner of soft tacos and orange juice staring at the stars the night prior when a blood curdling, high pitched, terrifying scream broke through the house. Without thinking Betty shot up from the couch and ran upstairs, they were alone, or so she thought.

“JB! Are you okay? Are you?!” She was yelling and screaming, jumping in place and whining, her hands flailing, she looked like an overgrown child, but there was nobody else around, certainly no Ghoulies, no, they were busy ruining her house, which had now been spray painted, windows had been broken, wall paper had been torn, the ceiling had a random hole in it that didn’t go all the way to the roof and really, Betty thought, they had helped her realize she could have a den up there, she was looking at the positives.

Betty looked around the area JB was pointing at, and saw it: a small spider sitting on one of her shoes, playing with her shoelace. “Really?” She asked with a roll of her eyes, grabbing the shoe and holding it out the window, in no time, the spider was gone down the side of the house, but JB was still squealing and flailing and swatting at her arms as if there were bugs crawling all over her.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” JB cried and hugged her. “Wait, how are you here?”

“By being?” Betty asked, confused.

“Did you come up the stairs?” She asked and Betty’s eyes widened dangerously.

“Oh…” Only then did she realize what she’d done, her face paled and she looked down at herself, but slowly began taking stock that she was fine. Nothing was happening.

“Let’s get you to bed, Jughead’s going to kill me. Are you okay? Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m…” she looked down at herself, “I’m okay.” She said and furrowed her eyebrows, “I don’t want to go to bed.”

“Betty,” JB warned with a motherly tone that shouldn’t belong to the same person who had nearly cried at seeing a spider on the other side of the room, but Betty couldn’t find the humor in that right then, she shook her head, she was tired, she had been in bed for a few weeks now and if she had to do it for the remainder of the pregnancy she’d go crazy.

“I want to call my doctor, I can’t do it, Jells, I can’t. My _butt_ hurts!” She said, watching JB scrunch her nose.

“Eww, what you and Jughead do in your own time is SO not my business.”

“From sitting so much!” Betty exclaimed with a chuckle and a roll of her eyes, “You know, we haven’t actually done that yet but-“

“EWW! Stop! FINE! SORRY!” She yelled, covering her ears and becoming that child again, making Betty laugh and shake her head. She hadn’t done anything more than walk slowly for too long, and even then Jughead was usually close by, holding his arms out, as if afraid she’d fall and now, standing there, having ran up stairs she didn’t feel so fragile or ready to break.

“I need to make an appointment, please be on my side with this.” She asked, knowing Jughead wouldn’t be.

JB let go of a sigh and shook her head, “Jughead’s going to fucking kill me,” she murmured, “Fine, you can talk to your doctor, it’s not like I can stop you from doing that, but do it sitting down on the couch, please? For my sake? Goddamn it, I’m dead.” She finished dramatically as they started walking down the stairs, but it was too late already.

“BETTY? BETTY WHERE ARE YOU? JB!?” Jughead’s voice carried upstairs, frantic and panicked.

“I’m coming, Juggie.” Betty said from the stairs, biting her bottom lip, but she didn’t get to take two steps down that Jughead was next to her, grabbing her carefully, one hand on her lower back and the other on her arm to steady her.

“Are you alright? Why were you up there? How did you get up there? JB can’t carry you, god, don’t tell me you went up all by yourself.”

“Jug…I’m okay, also, I’ve been walking for a few months now, I’m pretty sure I have it down.” She joked.

“Yeah, she’s okay so you can’t kill me.” JB said from behind them, causing Jughead to glare at her.

“I’m okay,” Betty said again, taking a step down with him moving closely, “Jughead!” She strained her voice, not yelling but certainly making it clear she demanded his attention. “Stop it. Let me go, I can walk down the stairs, I’m not an invalid! I can’t stay seated for the whole pregnancy. I just can’t. And I wasn’t in my right mind when the doctor explained it all so I want to talk to her again, I want her to explain exactly what I can’t do because there’s no way I can do this anymore. My butt hurts.”

“But we haven’t even done that yet-“ He said, unable to hold back the joke, even though he still looked worried.

“Eww! Jesus Christ! Did you plan that?” Asked JB from behind them, and Betty smirked. Not knowing what the hell JB was talking about, Jughead focused on Betty again,

“We can talk to whoever you fucking want, but until you do, you’re staying on that fucking couch, Elisabeth.” He left no room for debate and she sighed, she knew he was right, but he had no idea how hard it was to feel so disconnected from the kids.

*** * ***

“Daddy! Daddy! Mommy’s in pain! It’s really bad! Come quick! Make it better!” It was later in the day, the kids were back and mostly finishing up their brownies and milk when Theo ran into Jughead’s office, eyes as wide as ever and tone sharp. Jughead, having been unable to stop himself from thinking about their upcoming doctor’s appointment the next day, assumed the worse and ran out from the office, past three rooms to find her laying down and tapping on her stomach looking at the ceiling and humming while her feet moved to the tune in her head.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong, baby?”

“What?” Betty asked, leaning up, clearly unaware of what was happening.

“Theo said you were in pain and I-“

“What? Little One, move over here so I can see you, no hiding behind the couch.” Betty said with a raised eyebrow. The little boy did as he was asked and Jughead looked between them, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Tell daddy what I said.” She said sternly.

“Mommy said her feet hurt and that’s why she can’t walk.”

“Oh.” Said Jughead and let out a breath, “Why did you tell me that it was really bad?”

“Because!” Theo threw his hands up in exasperation, like they should know this already, “her feet hurt so she can’t walk and she hasn’t walked in a long time so it hurt for a long time so it has to be bad.” He rolled his eyes.

“No rolling your eyes. I’ll talk to your aunt about that, you’re picking up bad habits.” Betty sighed and looked at Jughead, “Sorry.” She said with a sheepish smile and a shrug.

“I’m not, I was stuck anyway, here, let me sit.” He moved to sit on the couch with her legs on him and massaged her feet slowly.

“You.” Betty said looking at Theo,

“I did bad? I’m sorry.” He said, looking so disappointed and sad that it broke her heart.

“Come here, I need a good cuddle.”

“OKAY!” He bounced back quickly, climbing onto the couch and grabbing onto her with tiny fists. “I love you momma.” He said and she nearly burst out in tears, it was partly the hormones, she knew, but it was also just the fact that she was hearing those words, each and every time it made her heart flutter happily.

“I love you too, Theo.”

“I know. I’m a cool kid.” He said with a sharp nod, giggling when Jughead reached up to ruffle his hair.

“You really are!” Jughead agreed.

“Momma, why does Daddy kiss your tummy in the morning?” Betty’s eyes widened and she looked at Jughead.

“Well…umm…” Jughead also, looked terrified of this conversation, what were they supposed to say? It was too early to talk about babies in case it ended up not happening and what if Theo felt jealous or angry or sad or scared?

“Umm…” Betty said and Theo’s big eyes narrowed.

“I think you don’t know.” He said, “It’s okay, I think he’s just weird.” He stage whispered, “but I love him too.” He smiled.

“You think I’m weird?” Jughead asked with a raised eyebrow and the gasp Theo took was so loud and dramatic that both adults melted into a fit of laughter.

“Hey, guys? I’m going out for a bit, I’ll be back around dinner or whatever.” Said JB from behind them, already walking to the door.

“Kay!” Yelled Jughead, “Be safe!” but didn’t move an inch, looking lovingly at Betty while simultaneously sticking out his tongue at Theo.

“Ms. Cooper? Can we talk?” She turned to the tiny voice of Lia, who was holding Liam’s hand and looking a little green.

“Of course, come, let’s go to the library.” She smiled kissing Theo before the little boy just crawled across the couch to hand onto Jughead instead.

“Oh, she leaves and suddenly you want to cuddle me?” Said Jughead in mock disapproval.

“Well…You’ll do!” Theo responded but kissed Jughead’s cheek.

“Who taught you that?” He laughed and Betty began walking away with the kids hearing Theo now explaining it was a joke his aunt had taught him, a joke only, he loved him very much. He explained time and time again.

Once in the library, Betty took a seat, smiling as sweetly as she could but she wasn’t sure what this was all about, which did make her a little anxious.

“Ms. Cooper,” said Liam, “We’re sorry. We didn’t know.”

“What didn’t you know, Love?”

“That our uncle would come to look for Theo.” He explained. “He told us that if we delivered then he would leave Theo alone.”

“Umm…I’m sorry,” said Betty, trying to understand what was happening, her brows furrowed.

“Mom didn’t want us to know him, so she had us taken away,” Said Lia sadly, “She’s upset. She’s…I think she’s going to hurt him.” She whispered,

“Hurt who?”

“Our Uncle. Theo’s dad.”

Betty sat there, thinking her world should be crumbling, it should be shattered and broken at that instant, but instead, she felt relieved at understanding one more thing about what was going on.

*** * ***

The Wyrm hadn’t changed at all since the last time she’d been there, it looked so eerily similar she wondered if time had passed at all. The same bikers sat at the same booths and tables, the same floor was the same exact amount of sticky, the same bar had the same drink marks, or maybe a few more, but he didn’t look the same. He looked older, worse for wear, he looked sober and most of all, he looked conflicted, confused and sad.

“Hey, dad.”

The man’s eyes snapped up to find eyes just like his own, just like his son’s staring back at him but he was certain this woman couldn’t be related to him, she was an angel. “Jellybean?”

“Yeah…I umm…I go by JB now.” She said, no anger in her tone at all and somehow between those words time had stopped or jumped or something because FP had made his way around the bar and was hugging her for dear life, afraid that if he let go she’d disappear. JB hugged him back. “I umm…I know we have to catch up, and I promise we will,” she let go of him slowly and looked at his eyes, making sure he understood the gravity of what she was about to say, “But I need you to do what Ms. Cooper says, I need you to give the guns to _them_.”


	25. Countdown Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The countdown has began...if only they knew. 
> 
> OOC: Hey guys, I owe you all an apology for the stupidly long wait time. I'm posting two chapters today to try to make up for it, I hope they're up to par, honestly, I've been out of it super stressed trying to find a job. I'm sorry again. 
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

**10 WEEKS TO RELEASE**

 

“Betty Cooper?” Called a nurse. Jughead had been sitting next to her, his knee bouncing up and down, nervous of what they might be told, he knew that if Betty was given the go ahead, she would take on too much, and he was scared about that being simply too much. Betty got up and held out her hand to him before following the nurse inside.

It was cold, hospitals were always too cold, Betty thought, and she wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her arms until Jughead draped his own arm over her and held her close.

“It’s going to be okay no matter what.” He whispered to her, putting a kiss to her cheek right before the doctor walked in, pushing her glasses up and reading her chart.

“Ms. Cooper!” She said happily, “I didn’t think I’d see you until your 12 week sonogram, and it’s early for that, so how can I help you?”

“I-umm…” she seemed a little taken aback by the doctor’s quick arrival and sweet smile. The doctor giggled and nodded.

“Take a seat on the table, Betty, and take your time. You both should ask all the questions you have. Have you had any more spotting or bleeding?” She sat on the small, circular bench with wheels, the chart facing down on her lap and motioning for Jughead to join Betty on the bed, unsure of what to do or even why he responded to it, he did.

“No. No bleeding and no spotting.”

“And the bed rest?”

“I’m making sure she stays in bed. I carry her downstairs and upstairs and she spends all day on the couch or the bed, and sometimes she sits in the kitchen prepping meals, but not for too long. Once she went upstairs on her own but I will make sure it doesn’t happen again, I’ll be around more, so she wont need to do it.” Jughead spoke up, proud of himself for taking care of her.

“Hmm…” said the doctor, noticing Betty’s body slump forward a little. “I see. How are you doing with the bed rest, Betty?”

“Like he said, I’m-“

“No, no,” she said sweetly, “I mean, how are you handling it?”

“I hate it. I’m a foster mom and we have a boy we adopted and I hate being so immobile. I was hoping you’d tell me exactly how little I can move and also...” she blushed so deeply that Jughead felt his heart drop.

“Are you okay?” He asked, always ready to panic for her safety, even as they sat in a hospital.

“Yeah…umm…”

“Okay,” cut in the doctor, “One question at a time, you don’t need to be carried up and down the stairs, so long as you don’t make more than two trips in each direction.” She said, and thought for a moment, looking at her chart again. “I need you to be careful, though, so if you feel tired, rest, no working out, no running, no yoga, none of that. You can stand when you cook, but not for longer than two hours at a time, try to sit or lay down as much as you can, but I don’t want you to go crazy.” She smiled sweetly. “Let’s do an ultrasound, it’s early, but it’ll let me know more. Can you lay down and lift your shirt?”

Betty nodded and Jughead got off the bed to help her lay on it. The doctor moved around with ease, and even though there were techs to do ultrasounds, this time, she decided to do it herself.

“You’re very brave, adopting and being a foster parent. Children are not easy to raise.” She commented to keep them distracted. “This will be cold.” She warned and squirted gel on her stomach.

“I umm…I think they picked me. I think Jug gave me the chance.” Betty said with tears in her eyes, looking at him, suddenly hating the word ‘boyfriend’ because he was so much more than that.

“That’s sweet. Now, let’s look at this nugget.” She put the small device on her tummy and moved it until she got a clear visual. “See that right there?” she pointed at the screen, “That’s the little boy or girl. Right there.” Betty sniffled and turned her head to look at Jughead, surprised by what she found. His eyes were wide and tears fell down his cheeks, his lips were a little parted and he was sniffling too, not even pretending to be the tough guy he usually let strangers see. He reached down for her hand and only then, when their finger intertwined did he looked down from the monitor.

“That’s…that’s us, Betts. That’s us.” His voice broke and tears kept falling, the hairs on her arms stood on end and Betty smiled at him and nodded.

The doctor moved away from the machine and began cleaning Betty’s stomach.

“Any more questions for me?” She asked happily, looking between the couple.

“Y-Yes.” Betty said and turned to look at her, “Umm…s-sex?” She asked carefully and Jughead couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Betts I don’t need-“

“Shush. This is about me.” Betty snapped, “Sorry…I’m…snappy.” Jughead laughed.

“Yes to sex, but nothing too exciting and for the most part, if you’re wondering if something is safe, it isn’t.”

“Oh.” She bit her bottom lip. “Okay.”

“And you,” the doctor turned to Jughead, “You’re sweet, and it’s okay to be overwhelmed, and it’s absolutely wonderful that you want to take care of her, but she’s _not_ dying. I know I already told you this, but I think I need to remind you. Now…call with questions and come back for the 12 week sonogram. Bring tissues.” She blinked and walked out, leaving Jughead to lower Betty’s shirt while she giggled.

“I love you,” he said,

“I love you too.”

*** * ***

**8 WEEKS TO RELEASE**

Betty had been at the market, where they had ran out of pickles, then gone to take a nap and found herself unable to, waking up every few minutes with nightmares about New York, her mother and for some reason, a mocking Jughead, pointing and laughing at her growing figure. She had tried cooking, but had split the whipped cream twice and burned a cake she had been staring at to avoid just that very thing. She had gone outside to lay under the sun but it had become cloudy and no sooner had she given up and entered the house again than it had gotten sunny one more time. Not wanting to give up, she had take a quick ride to Jughead’s shop to drop off his lunch, finding the door open and a pink haired woman she’d seen at the Wyrm sitting on his lap with a hand on the back of his neck; Betty had walked up to them, left the food on the table ignoring Jughead screaming her name and not looking back for a second before getting back in her car. Matters were only made worse when she got back home to find a woman she’d seen before sitting in her kitchen with an untouched cup of coffee in front of her talking to Lia and Liam. She stood when Betty walked in and approached her carefully.

“Could we speak?”

Betty was tired of everything that day, didn’t want to speak to this woman or anyone but the woman looked desperate, and Betty knew she had to agree, if nothing else, Lia and Liam’s safety.

“Of course, let’s go to the office.” She said, instead of the library, she wanted to have the desk between this woman and herself, remembering too clearly how she had blamed Betty loudly for taking her kids away when she had been the one to get them taken away to begin with.

“I only called CPS to protect them. My brother left town years ago, when he came back…”

“Okay.” Was all Betty said, cutting her off, she wasn’t interested in a sob story or an excuse, this woman wasn’t welcome in this house. Her short fuse growing shorter by the minute.

“I want to be a good mother, I was a good mother for a long time and I want them back, but something is happening, there’re whispers, I don’t know what it is but it’s going to be my save and grace, when they catch him I can have them again. They’re my life, even if…it didn’t seem so.”

“Okay.”

“Ms. Cooper. I want to thank you for taking care of them, for giving them a safe place to be, a place where they can grow and be happy and healthy, I don’t know how to thank you, but they’re my children, and I want them back when this is all over. I also want to apologize. Nobody could know I called CPS, you were just…an opportune visitor is all.” Betty sighed, this woman seemed distressed and Betty couldn’t blame a mother for doing whatever she could for her children, but surely there were better ways than what she had done.

“That’s a conversation you have to have with Child Protective Services. I can’t do anything about it. I’m sorry if I’m being short with you but it’s not my best day, to be frank and I’d like to spend it with my family. You can come some day when the kids are in school and we can discuss this, but it’s out of my hands.”

“I understand. I’m sorry I took your time, I was just hoping you’d vouch for me to CPS.”

“I can’t do that. Not based on one remorseful conversation, but we can set up some sort of weekend visit, here, with me and the social worker if she sees it fit, of course, and we can go from there.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“I’m sorry to be rude and I promise to contact you but right now I’m going to ask you to go, and please don’t back unannounced. Especially if the children are here.”

“Of course. Thank you, again.”

“I’ll walk you to the door.”

It took only three minutes for her pregnancy brain to catch up with the fact that Lia and Liam should actually be in school at this hour, and after a sit-down they admitted their mother had picked them up and Betty had-in her most supportive possible way-asked them to never do such a thing again and to call her first, _always_.

She was helping them get started on homework early when Jughead burst in through the door.

“We have to talk.” He said sternly.

“Not now, I’m busy.”

“Now, Betty.” He insisted and only then noticed the kids, “What are you doing here?”

“Mom picked us up and brought us here to talk to Ms. Cooper. She’s gone.” Said Liam.

“I think she upset Ms. Cooper, though.” Added Lia.

“Betts…can we please-“

“No. I wont leave the kids alone right now and your sister isn’t here.”

“It’s okay, Ms. Cooper, we’re just doing homework.” Liam was trying to be helpful, of course, this wasn’t helping Betty at all in her goal to avoid so much as looking at Jughead.

“Please.” He reached for her hand, which Betty pulled away and looked at her watch.

“Five minutes, Jughead. That’s all I’m giving you.”

“Okay.” He sounded defeated and scared and Betty couldn’t find it in her to care at all. She followed him to the library, looking over her shoulder at the siblings, knowing they’d be okay and wishing she didn’t have to do this. “What you saw isn’t what happened, it’s…I need to explain.”

“I saw a biker chic with most of her tits out from _your_ gang sitting on _your_ lap, holding _your_ shirt and perfectly ready to fuck _your_ brains out. But that’s fine, it’s not like we’re attached in any way. I’m only pregnant, we’re not married, we’re just living together because my house wasn’t ready and now it’s getting vandalized. You can shove your dick in any fucking hole you want to so no need to explain anything!” She had started talking but by the end she was yelling, her agitation showing in how red her face had gotten. Jughead had taken a step back, his eyes wide not only at the yelling, but at the intensity and the language she used.

“Betts, she wal-“

“Don’t call me that. I’ll find a motel nearby or something.”

“Shut up!” He didn’t yell but his tone left her breathless and speechless, combing his hair back with his fingers, “You said your part, it’s my turn!” He said seeming every bit the gang leader he’d once been. “Toni walked in, sat on my lap, grabbed me and then you walked in. That’s it. It all happened in less than twenty seconds, I have no idea what her intentions were, but like hell you’re moving out.” He turned, taking a few steps away from her and then turned to her, this time, his eyes, as angry as they were looked sad more than anything else. “You don’t think we’re anything? Fuck! I thought we were a family. And fuck that! You may have needed a room but by your third night here this wasn’t just a living arrangement.” He kept pacing, trying to think through everything she’d just said, “Is that what you want? If getting married is what will make you realize I’m in this for the long haul then let’s do it! You have to believe me, I didn’t do anything, I don’t want her! Fuck, I couldn’t even get it up for her if I wanted to! Look at you! You’ve spoiled me rotten, you’ve ruined me, how in the fucking world am I supposed to want anyone else?” He motioned to her like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I know you didn’t do anything.” She said with a shrug, looking away from him. “You looked grossed out, if I’m honest.”

“Then why are you so fucking angry at me?”

“Because! You’re a big boy, Jughead, the moment she sat on you, you let her. I don’t care if it was only one second, you knew what she was doing as soon as she walked in with that…was it even a top she had on? You didn’t stand, you didn’t move away, you didn’t do anything, but you didn’t avoid it, either. Had I walked in three seconds later, she would have kissed you, and your excuse would be what? You can’t push girls off? Jughead, to some extent you wanted whatever you allowed.”

Jughead stared at her, he hated that had it happened the way she thought, she’d be right. “I didn’t see her come in, Betty. I had headphones on, she just turned me and sat. You’re right, I should have pushed her off, but I’m sorry to disappoint you, I will never push or shove or hurt a woman. Even the likes of her.”

“It doesn’t matter, we never talked about these things, there’s no arrangement, we never said we’d be monogamous.”

“Betty, I am yours. Only yours. Do you…is that a freedom you want?”

“No.”

“I don’t either, so why are we even discussing this? We have a kid together, Betty!”

She shrugged, “We went to the doctor weeks ago and you haven’t so much as thought about touching me. I just…I guess I think it makes sense you’d look for that elsewhere.”

“You have got to be kidding. Have you not noticed me taking hour-long showers, Betts? I want you so bad, all the time, I mean, you were always hot but your boobs now are…” He actually blushed, making her smile a little, “And you’re so beautiful, and of course I want you, but I’m scared.”

“The doctor said-“

“I know. But fear defeats logic at times, Betts, I’m scared. That’s all.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

“I want a pickle.”

“I’ll go get you one.”

“They don’t have any at the store.”

“I’ll be right back.” He kissed her forehead and left on his way back to Riverdale to find his woman a pickle.

*** * ***

**7 WEEKS TO RELEASE**

 

“I don’t want to go!” Complained Theo, “I was at school aaaaaaall day! I don’t want to go back _now_ ”

“It was a half day, so you weren’t in school all day, and we have to. We want to know how you’re doing in school, Little One.” Explained Jughead. The reality was that he was very excited, this was his first parent-teacher conference as a parent and somehow, it made his fatherhood seem more real. Betty hadn’t said anything, but she saw his pride in the way he dressed in slacks and a button down shirt, mumbling something about ‘I would never miss this. I don’t want him to be embarrassed’ that told her all she needed to know about a young Jughead, sitting in a classroom, waiting for a parent who never showed.

“You look good.” She said, putting her hands on his chest and kissing him soundly. She had opted for a simple dress and her hair up in a bun, this was sure to be a busy night, and where Theo complained about not wanting to go, all the other kids had been nothing if not confused when she had insisted on speaking to all of their teachers, working the appointments so she could get to all of them. Jughead had even rented a large van for the occasion, and JB had made a joke about them having to buy one of them soon.

Betty checked her purse for the thousandth time with a huff, “I feel like I’m forgetting something but I have tissues, napkins, a tupperwear with pickles, my phone charger, a camera, a compact with a mirror, lip gloss, a notebook, a pen and two pencils for notes, hand sanitizer, gum, pepper spray, maze in case I run out of pepper spray, band-aids, rubbing alcohol, scissors and a small towel.” She was sitting in the van already, looking for her purse for whatever it was she had forgotten. She heard snickers and laughter from the back. “What is it? What am I forgetting?” She asked, clearly in distress by her lack of memory.

“Your phone.” Jughead whispered and Betty’s eyes went so wide he couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ll go get it.” He pecked her cheek and headed off, coming back nearly ten minutes later and declaring, “It was in the refrigerator next to the pickles.” Betty felt mortified.

The teachers at Southside didn’t care too much about who they were speaking to, they didn’t ask about the obvious fact that Jughead and Betty weren’t parents, they all were, however, incredibly happy as they announced that the children had gotten more attentive and always did their homework, that they were learning faster than their peers and some of them, even displayed the traits of a gifted child, though no tests had been given yet. Betty felt proud, taking notes to remember that while Lia needed a little extra help with math, Shay needed extra help in English, and each child had at least one subject they could improve on with a little extra nurturing. Eventually, they made it to Theo’s teacher who looked worried as soon as they walked through the door.

“Hmm,” She pursed her lips, “I heard he had been adopted. Well, he’s a nice boy. Theo is intelligent and capable, he particularly likes class plays and activities where he can be loud, dramatic and cause trouble, however, he has become an avid reader, always hands in his homework and seems to enjoy school.” She paused, looking at a beaming Betty and Jughead, “But,” she said and Betty reached for Jughead’s hand, looking at Theo and seeing worry in his features, “He’s often alone, he doesn’t seem to make friends easily and in fact get bullied quite a lot.” Betty’s fingers began closing in, squeezing Jughead’s hand painfully. “He has voiced to me a worry that if you were to find out, and in turn this caused you trouble, you might find yourselves wanting and succeeding in sending him back to his biological mother.” The teacher looked at Theo who had a tear-stained face. “I told him we would talk about that here today.”

“You’re mean.” He said to the teacher, refusing to look at his parents, making both Betty’s and Jughead’s heart break.

“Theo? Come on Squirt, look at me, come here.” Jughead said in a low, tolerant, sweet tone he only ever used with the children.

“Are you going to hit me?”

“Have I ever hit you?”

“No. Are you going to yell at me?”

“Have I ever yelled at you?”

“No…Okay.” Theo scrambled off of the chair and walked to Jughead who picked him up and sat him on the teacher’s desk facing him and Betty, who dug in her purse for the tissues and wiped his cheeks, digging some more before handing him a lollipop he didn’t dare open yet.

“Theo, remember when we asked you if you wanted us to adopt you?” Asked Betty and the boy nodded, “You adopted us, too. Remember that?” He nodded again, his big eyes even bigger than usual, afraid and embarrassed.

“Little One, that’s forever. You and us? We’re never letting you go anywhere ever without us. Except school. Seriously, you’re going to have to beg to go on dates…or to college.” Jughead joked and Theo scrunched his nose.

“Girls have cooties and dates are stupid.” He said immediately putting a hand over his mouth. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”

“Theo I love you, sososososo much. I will never, ever, ever, ever give you to anyone else or have you taken away by anyone else.”

“Not even Auntie Jelly when we go for ice cream?”

“Only if she asks nicely and you want to go.”

“I always want ice cream.” He said with a nod making Jughead chuckle. “You’ll never give me away?”

“Not _ever_.” Answered Jughead. “We love you too much.”

“I love you too daddy…” He said chewing on his bottom lip, looking between them, “But mommy more.” He said and Jughead laughed.

“I don’t blame you she’s better in every way.”

“NO!” Theo said, shaking his head like Jughead said something crazy. “I like mommy more because before mommy you never smiled and now you always smile. Mommy makes you happy.” This, of course, sent a very hormonal Betty into tears, which made Theo smile, “When mommy cries happy tears,” he explained to his teacher, turning on the desk to look at her, “she always makes this face.” He said copying Betty’s half-smile, making her splutter. “She’s happy because she has a cool kid.”

“Yes I am, and yes I do. Come here.” She pulled him into a hug that left him nearly breathless, but giggling, his little arms wrapping around her neck rather than holding onto her shirt, no longer scared of being told to let go forever.

Betty pulled herself together and handed Theo to Jughead, “Go wait for me outside, please? And decide what you want for dinner.” She sent them away and turned to the teacher, now determined and annoyed with a piece of information the teacher had surely hoped Betty had forgotten all about.

“If he gets bullied why aren’t you doing anything about it? Why is he having trouble making friends?”

Betty comes out into the hall some time later to find Jughead leaning against the wall, holding Theo against his waist while Theo nodded at something he had said, lollipop in his mouth.

“We decided we’re going to Pop’s to celebrate that everyone’s reports were so good!” Announced Theo and she looked at Jughead, worried. Pop’s was nice, but it wasn’t huge and there were booths more than tables and they were a lot and he might not have enough space and he didn’t want to disappoint the kids and-

“I already called him, he’s getting the place ready for us.” Jughead said, reading her worry correctly.

“Well then…Pop’s it is. I’m dying for a milkshake and a pickle.”  

*** * ***

“My favorite family’s here!” Pop said, opening the door for the kids to come in. He had really done wonders with such a short time to prepare, putting several tables next to each other with chairs. On the tables there were already cups of water and Betty was nothing if not surprised.

“Thank you so much for doing this, Pop!”

“Let me look at you, lil’ lady.” He smiled, his hands on her shoulders. “Congratulations are in order.” He said, “I see a lot of people come through these doors, I have learned to recognize a craving, especially one as odd as pickles.” He winked and she laughed, realizing only then where Jughead had found the food she craved so much. “I also recognize a family, and this is one hell of a family if I’ve ever seen one. You’re doing good for this town, Betty.” He said, something in his tone sad and reminiscent. The kids were all seated, JB talking them through the menu to make it easier to order when Jughead came up to them.

“Congratulations, my boy. I hope the little one gets to see the Chock’lit Shoppe” He sighed.

“Of course he or she will, Pop!”

“I don’t know. It was bought from under me. Took care of all my debts, couldn’t do nothin’ about it. Might not be around long.” He shook his head, “But, tonight we celebrate. Don’t you worry about me, my dear boy.”

“We’ll do whatever we can.” Jughead said and Betty nodded.

“That’s a conversation for another time.” Betty looked at Jughead, this was only one more business, each day they seemed to find out about another taken over by these thugs.

*** * ***

Hours later, laying in bed together Jughead asked why she'd stayed behind to talk to Ms. WhoCares, apparently, Theo was getting bullied because he liked talking about his home life, which in turn, made kids with less ideal situations jealous and act out. They were working on it, the teacher had assured Betty, but it wouldn't be such a bad thing to have a talk at home about the difference between sharing and showing off. Betty hadn't said much more but she didn't think Theo was one to show off, he was more...sharing good things. Still, they would have to ask him why he hadn't told them about the bullying. A day later they were all amazed when an annoyed looking Theo simply said "Because it's silly. I don't care if they call me names. I come home to you and Daddy and get kisses and hugs and ice cream and maybe they just need a hug."


	26. Countdown Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The countdown is over and change is afoot! 
> 
> OOC: Please check last chapter for notes about this one too. 
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

**5 WEEKS TO RELEASE**

 

“Hey, can I talk to you guys?” JB asked, her head peaking into the office where Betty sat, staring at a book, having read the same paragraph three times and too spaced to know what the hell it said while Jughead typed furiously, getting closer to finishing his book by the day, especially having decided to closed his shop for the majority of the pregnancy to take care of Betty.

“No.” Betty said flatly, closing the book and rubbing her eyes, “every conversation that starts like that has been a bad one recently, and just…no.” She was so tired of bad news, of bad moment, of just…bad.

“It’s not bad, it’s just something I need the family’s input in.”

“Come in, Jells, I can’t see you from here and it’s annoying.” Jughead said, stopping his typing.

JB walked in carefully, seeming nervous and took a seat facing them and chewing on her bottom lip.

“So, the thing is that I run out of time. I didn’t need to announce a major yet because they give you two years to sort of try everything and figure it out, but I have to declare before I pick next semester’s classes and I think I know what I want to study, but I want to talk to you about it because I’m not sure if it’s smart or if I should or if it’s a good idea or if-“

“Jells, point. Make it.” Jughead raised an eyebrow, the kids were asleep already and he was surprised to find that he was as tired as he’d ever been simply from taking care of her, so he couldn’t even imagine how tired Betty was taking care of the kids and growing one at the same time.

“I think I want to study social work.”

“Oh.” Said Jughead, Betty said nothing at all, staring at the closed book in front of her. “JB, whatever you want to study, I’ll totally support you and back you up.” Jughead smiled, “I’m proud of you no matter what.”

JB smiled sweetly and nodded “Thanks, Jug. Betty? What do you think?”

“Huh?” Betty looked up suddenly, “Sorry, I was thinking about pickles.” She rubbed her eyes. “I think you can do whatever you want, and you’ll do great. Just, be realistic about what it means to do social work, it’s tough, it pays crap, most people don’t appreciate it-I’m not trying to dissuade you at all, I’m just trying to let you know that it’s not the easiest or most lucrative option.”

“Oh.” JB chewed on her lip before getting up and leaving.

“I’m sorry,” She said sadly, looking at Jughead “did I say something wrong?”

“Here.” JB had come back in holding a pickle, making Betty’s eyes light up. “Look, I know I wont be rich, but you inspired me with what you do here, both of you. I was actually hoping you’d let me run a program in your house. I’m studying online anyway and I’ll have to travel a little but I want to be here, I’ve been away from Jug for too long and I love the kids and I have ideas for it, I have also reached out for funding and it could be so great, Betty, I promised it could be so great!”

Betty, happily eating her pickle nodded, she didn’t know if her house would ever be safe again, but she didn’t want to say something quite that serious and sad.

“I’ll think on it. Get me a plan together, let me see what you want to do and I’ll consider it.”

“Thank you!” JB hugged Betty, who hugged her back but only for a second as JB had already moved on to hug Jughead. She disappeared before either of them could say anything else.

“I’m so tired.” Betty whined.

“I’ll carry you upstairs, let’s go to bed.”

“It’s only eight! I want to fight it! I used to have energy, I used to rule the world, I could do everything I needed three times over in a day, now I’m lucky if I manage to stand for twenty minutes without immediately needing a nap!” Betty rubbed her eyes again.

“We’re getting old…or biology is making sure we get enough sleep before Peanut joins us and wakes us up every three hours. I’m beat, too…let’s go to bed.”

“But…we’re _young_ ”

“And tired. Well, you know what? Okay, if you want to stay here, go ahead, I’m going to bed and no monkey business, I’m going straight to sleep.”

“Fine, fine. Take me.”

“I said no monkey business!” He joked, making her grab a nearby cushion to throw it to him but it fell short of the desk, never even getting close to reaching him. He laughed and got up after turning off his computer. He carried her to bed bridal style, laying her down and looking annoyed when even after a happy sigh, she turned to get up.

“Stop glaring, I have to brush my teeth, I have been eating pickles all day.” She laughed, heading to the en suite to do just that.

Less than thirty minutes later, the young, sexy couple laid in bed in joggers and oversized t-shirts wrapped around another, drooling in their dream state.

  *** * ***

**3 WEEKS TO RELEASE**

 

“I’m dead.” Betty announced one morning, draped over Jughead and absolutely refusing to so much as open her eyes. “I’m dead and I will remain dead and if anyone makes me get up I will kill them until they’re dead too.”

“Stay in bed today, I’ll go make you breakfast, I’ll tell the kids you’re under the weather.”

“We can’t keep doing that. We should just tell them.”

“Tell them?”

“I mean, I’m going to get big eventually and they’ll figure it out. We might as well do it now.”

“If you’re sure?”

“Mhmm…after my nap.” She chuckled.

“You just woke up.”

“Exactly!” They laughed together and he unwound from her, pulling away and kissing her forehead, by the time he made it to the bedroom door, she was snoring lightly. He took a few seconds to just stare at her and let it sink in that she was his, that they had children. This had all happened so quickly, so naturally that it felt like a dream and he often forgot that this had at some point gone from people who lived in the same house to a family, a real family and then it hit him like a brick, he hated the word “girlfriend”.

Jughead was burning his second egg when Betty came down to find JB pointing and laughing and Jughead glaring and saying “show me how you do it, if you’re so much better at it!” Betty giggled and walked into the kitchen.

“Shoo! Shoo! Go…stop hurting my gorgeous kitchen. I’m going to make pie.” She said making a ‘move on’ motion with her hands. “You make coffee,” she pointed at Jughead “and you go get vanilla ice cream, we’ll need it for the pie.” She said to JB who happily shrugged and headed out while Betty got to work.

There were more pies than anyone could eat, sweet and savory for lunch and dessert and for the kids that woke up early enough (a total of three) breakfast, too.

It was lunch time, once everyone was seated around a table of pies and tarts when Betty stood up with Jughead and cleared her throat.

“We have an announcement,” She said shyly, ignoring the way JB’s eyes sparkled and shone. Suddenly, she wondered if they should take Theo aside and tell him first, but it was too late for that. Her free hand went to her stomach without thinking and she took a deep breath, looking around at so many eyes, so much curiosity, so much expectation. She swallowed thickly, “We’re all a family, and it’s fair t hat you all know that Jughead and I are going to have a little baby.” She smiled, watching some kids grin, others look around confused and a few just looking from her to the food as if asking if they could eat now, but Theo, oh, sweet Theo had his hand up and was chewing on his lip thoughtfully.

“Where’s the little baby now?”

“In Mommy’s belly.” Said Jughead with a smile, his free hand covering the one on her stomach.

“How big is the little baby?”

“Very, very, very little right now, but he or she is going to get bigger everyday, just like you.”

“When I meet the baby?”

“In a few months, Little One.” Jughead was answering as quickly as the questions came.

“Is the baby mine too?”

“Well,” said Betty, “I did tell you once that you’ll be the best big brother, and now you can prove it to me-to us.”

“I’m a big brother?” He said surprised, his tone going up an octave and a huge smile breaking out. “I wont be the littlest one anymore?”

“Nope.” She giggled at his realization.

“Cool! Umm…Mommy?”

“Yes, Sweetheart?”

“Can we eat?”

Jughead laughed, he swore this kid was more and more like them by the hour. They sat and everyone reached for food, but the moment Betty reached Theo spoke up.

“Not you, Mommy! You don’t eat!”

“I don’t?”

“NO! Your belly’s full of baby!”

Eveyone laughs and Theo, uncaring about what happens once he’s eating ignores when Betty grabs a first, a second and then a third serving, finishing lunch with two desserts and an extra scoop of ice cream…and a pickle.

“I’m disgusting.” She sighed while Jughead did the dishes. “You’re going to hate me when I get fat, and then when I find you –or don’t find you with a pink haired she devil on you, you wont look disgusted at all.” She looked at her lap, glad they were alone, JB and the kids running around in the huge patio playing tag.

“Betts, you’re pregnant, not fat.” He pointed out easily, “and you’ll never find me with Toni or anybody else on me.”

“With everything I’m eating? Jug, I’m going to be fat long after I’m pregnant.”

“Then I’ll have more woman to marry. Pass me that bowl?” He pointed to the table and she moved to do as he asked. It wasn’t the first time he mentioned marriage so easily, but she didn’t say anything else. Just smiling and walking out to the patio to sit under sun and take a nap to the sound of children’s laughter. She wasn’t completely asleep when she felt tiny kisses on her stomach and smiled.

“Hi, Baby. I’m Theo. I’m your big brother and I’m cool. I like you, I think. Don’t wake mommy up, okay?” He said and Betty stayed still wanting to know what he’d say. “I’m scared she wont love me anymore when you’re here because…because my other mom stopped loving my big sister when I was born. But it’s okay, because my sister loved me and took care of me when my mom didn’t love me either. But Mommy will love you forever and so will I and I’ll take care of you. Even if mommy runs out of love for me. Okay? Okay. I’m going to go play tag now. Bye.”

Betty watched him run away smiling and sat up, joining the tag game and picking him up, spinning him until they were both dizzy and sitting on the grass.

“Theo, I’m always going to love you, okay? Always. Even after this baby comes, you’re still my first child.”

“Some people run out of love. Like the other day we ran out of orange juice and Auntie Jelly had to go buy some more. Can you buy some more love?”

“Well…I don’t know where to buy love, but I do know that I have sososososo much of it, that I don’t need any more. I have enough for everyone.”

“Will daddy still call me ‘Little One’?” He asked chewing on his lip as he always did when he thought he might upset someone.

“That depends, do you like it?”

“Some times. Sometimes it makes me feel like a baby in front of my friends.”

“Well, then you need to tell him that, Love. If you like it, then he’ll keep calling you it.”

“But I wont be the littlest one anymore.”

“That’s okay, we can call the baby something else. You know, daddy’s been calling the baby Peanut.”

“Oh…is the baby a peanut?”

“I don’t think so, but I guess we’ll find out when he or she is here.”

“I hope it’s not a peanut. I want a real baby. One I can read stories to.”

“I think we would all like that.”

“You promise you’ll love me too?” He asked so small and vulnerable and so quick to assume adults wouldn’t want him time and time again, it hurt her but she knew that she had no choice but to prove him wrong each and every time. She picked him up and kissed his cheeks, his hair, his belly, his forehead, she kissed him until he was laughing and writhing away from her touch.

“I promise to love you and protect you and keep you forever.”

“And Baby too!” He insisted.

“And Baby too.” She agreed.

“I love you, Mommy. I think you’re the best Mommy and I think Peanut is going to be a very lucky baby to be with his real mommy from the beginning. I got my real mommy later, but it’s okay, because I got the best one.” He kissed her cheek and she melted. Theo had no idea that sometimes he said things so profound and sweet and caring and lovely and loving and perfect that she found herself wondering how in the world she’d gotten so lucky.

“I love you more, Little One.” She replied and he grinned.

“I’m going to go run. Go to sleep, Daddy’s looking at you like you should be taking a nap. He always wants you to take a nap now. Daddy’s weird.”

“Yes, he is, very weird. I’m going. I love you!”

“I know!”

  *** * ***

**0 WEEKS TO RELEASE**

 

They were not prepared. The impending war was getting closer, doomsday loomed over and Jughead and Betty along with the kids were all blissfully unaware of what was happening, talking to the Sherriff’s department on and off for weeks about Betty’s house and the increasing vandalism but nothing ever happened, and the police seemed more lost than they were in regard to what they should be doing.

The day the article came out, Betty was three months pregnant and her belly had started to look a tiny bit bloated, which was pointed out by a very happy, very energetic Theo jumping on the bed. He’d had a nightmare the night before about monsters in leather and had slept with them only to wake them up jumping between them and pointing at Betty.

“Mommy ate too many brownies, mommy ate too many brownies!” He sing-sung and laughed, his hair flying all around him, he needed a haircut, Betty thought when she spied him through her one open eye. “Mommy you’re fat! I love AAAAAAAAALL of you!” He’d laughed, making big circular motions with his arms before dropping on his knees on the bed and copying what his dad always did, kissing Betty’s cheek good morning and her belly too.

“Sleeeeep.” She groaned, being up all night taking care of a crying child was not her version of beauty rest and it was a Sunday! She deserved sleep! Jughead laughed,

“Yeah, sleep! Come here, squirt!” Jughead grabbed him and pulled him down, holding Theo to his chest. “Don’t call mommy fat.”

“But she _is_ fat.” Theo said confused and tilting his head a little, making her chuckle and sigh.

“Yes, I am. And I am also very, _very_ tired.” She mumbled, she wasn’t usually like this in the mornings, but this pregnancy was kicking her butt. She was always tired, she cried at commercials, and her mind was a muddled mess unable to focus on much of anything. They just laid there a bit longer, basking in the glory that was their family before a tiny knock came, it was barely there, almost silent, but it still made Betty sigh, she had to get up sooner or later. “Come in!” She yelled but didn’t move, expecting kids talking about planting tomatoes or water slides or some other weekend activity they wanted to try out, but instead, JB walked in, slowly, looking at her feet and holding a newspaper, an odd sight in this house, where news were consumed through computers, phones, tablets, and even sometimes the one television they had, but never print.

“Guys, I’m sorry to interrupt, but you need to see this.” She handed the newspaper over, standing by the foot of the bed and looking down at her feet.

Betty rubbed her eyes and sat up, a protective hand going to her baby bump, which Theo was now poking.

“Baby!” He stage whispered, “It’s time to wake uuuuup!”

Betty looked at Jughead with a sigh and a smile, Theo had been so good about the baby so far that it seemed silly they had waited so long to tell him, having feared Theo’s reaction. He still said things like ‘remember you love me too, okay?’ when he noticed Betty stroking her belly for too long or Jughead doing the same, looking at her adoringly, but he was always reminded that nothing in the world would make them stop loving him. Ever. Betty reached for the newspaper and chewed on her bottom lip, she hadn’t held one of her family’s papers in a very long time, and it felt heavier than it should. Her hands shook slightly when she noticed that the large picture on the main page depicted the worn “Welcome to Riverdale” sign, the trailers of the Southside visible in the distance. The headline read “New York Wealth Manipulates Small Town”

“Jells, what is this?” She asked, her voice shaky, her mother didn’t do anything half way and she knew that whatever this was it could implode their lives.

“I…have something to tell you guys, about Alice but please read this first.”

*** * ***

_Due to the aforementioned proof partially provided by a determined, involved and credible source, this journalist invites not the local Sherrif’s department but the state police to put an end to the suffering of the people of Riverdale, only one of many disappearing small towns in our great country; victim only to the manipulations of money by one of the most notorious New York families and a faulty government and police force willing to look after themselves rather than the people they work for, their constituents._

 

Betty had read out loud for Jughead to be able to be included as soon as she was done rather than passing the newspaper to him after her reading it. Theo had announced two paragraphs in that there were too many big words and left to wake up his cousins, and this left the three adults sitting in silence as Betty processed and Jughead fumed.

“Are you her contact?” Jughead finally asked and Jelly nodded. “What were you thinking? You know how Betty feels about-“

“Jelly? My mom wouldn’t have cared. She wouldn’t have gone through this trouble for me or for a small town. What did you tell her?”

“Okay…don’t…judge until I’m done, okay?” JB asked of them, Jughead glared but Betty nodded. “When Jug told me about the Ghoulies being back in town I got worried, but I wasn’t really around for the war that got rid of them, so I didn’t really know what I was worried about other than Jug going back to the Serpents and making some…questionable choices. Then he told me about your house getting vandalized and I thought maybe they were baiting him directly by attacking someone he loves, but that didn’t make sense, why now? Why after so long of being underground? So…I started digging a little but got nowhere. Then he told me about the businesses and all the properties being purchased around town for ridiculous prices or in exchange of not having debt, no way that a gang that hasn’t been active in years has the kind of money for that and…well, I didn’t know what to do so I contacted a journalist I knew would do a good job of figuring this out. To get her attention I told her about them having been in the house and that they were a threat to her grandson, Alice thought I was crazy at first, but adoption papers are public record and she, well, that’s why she showed up here.”

Betty started getting up, putting on her robe angrily and glaring at JB, this wasn’t her place, it wasn’t. Betty had been socked to find her mother knew she had adopted Theo when she had first spotted her in Riverdale, but finding out this was her best friend’s doing? She was livid.

“The next article comes out tomorrow,” JB kept talking, watching Betty as she walked around her with a glare. “I don’t know what she wrote but it’s a whole series, it exposes everyone, from the Lodges for trying to purchase and monopolize the town by hiring a gang, to the mayor for taking bribes in exchange of government owned land, to the police force for doing nothing and the final one is all about the people being put out.”

 

_Though previously a gang, now merely a group of bikers who congregate at the Whyte Wyrm, the sole local bar, have been the only people willing and able to help the Southside of town, composed of a humble trailer park, a badly funded school, and the Wyrm along with a few small businesses by having ran out the very gang that has come back to take their homes and businesses. Lead by Forsythe Jones II this club has done all it could as civilians but it falls short in the war against the evils of the 1% from New York City._

“What the hell were you two thinking?!” Betty yelled out of the blue, combing her hair back with her fingers. “This isn’t a joke!”

“No, it’s not. But it’ll help. It’ll at least mobilize the authorities.”

“And what? Do you think that they’ll do something? They haven’t done anything until now! I can’t believe this is happening.” Betty shook her head at the ceiling. “Does she know I’m pregnant?” She asked in an angry, sharp tone. JB merely nodded. “What else does she know?”

“That you’re on bed rest, that’s why she didn’t want you to know anything. She said you would have gotten involved in the investigation.”

“Of course I would have! My children are in danger, she can’t publish whatever the fuck she wants! And this…this _dribble!_ She used to be a journalist this is…an opinion piece!” Betty yelled with disgust, her cursing making both JB and Jughead stare at her. “What does she have planned?” Betty asked reaching in the closet for the stretchiest pants she owned and a blouse. “JB, tell me _now_.” She demanded in such a motherly, angry tone that JB actually shrunk in on herself.

“The Ghoulies have weapons, the police is going to raid their warehouse today.”

“Except they know how to read, so they might be getting rid of the weapons as we speak.”.

“Betts,” Jughead spoke up for the first time in a while still in bed, his brows furrowed in concern and determination, “Stop it. There’s nothing we can do right now. Whatever her plan is, it’s more than we’ve had for three months, and I don’t care what her thought process is, but if this works our family will be safe. I’m not going to stop her”

“Neither am I. I’m going to the Wyrm to rip _your_ father a new asshole! And you!” She pointed at JB, “I’m fucking pissed at you, do you understand. You don’t keep shit that affects our family from me. How dare you! Let’s go.”

“What?”

“You’re driving. I have to get dressed in the car.”

“You can get dressed here,” Jughead said reasonably, “and I’ll drive you.”

“No. You’re staying with the kids, I need JB with me.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m going to yell at both of them at the same time, Goddamn it!”

*** * ***

At the Wyrm everyone was whispering, the newspapers strewn all around the booths and tables and Betty stopped dead when she saw her mother, _her mother_ ice queen, twirling her hair in front of FP, who was, as always, holding a cup of tea and rubbing the back of his neck.

“Good. Three birds with one stone. Everyone in the office, now.” Betty commanded the room without so much as three steps in, people letting go of the papers and shifting further into the booths. In her time with Jughead, people had found out about her, but not so much as a nice woman, or even someone helping the kids, people talked about her meeting at the school and how she had fiercely told the principal off. Nobody wanted to be on the wrong side of Betty Cooper, of course, knowing she was dating the ex Boss helped with that, too.

Nobody argued, filing into the office slowly, looking back at Betty as she glared herding them in and closing the door behind her.

By the time they left the office, FP looked grey-green and a little sick, JB looked like she had been through a warzone and Alice was smiling proudly at her daughter. “If any of you do so much as keep a grocery list from me again, you will never step foot in my house or see my children.” She threatened lastly and started heading out.

“Can I visit?” Asked Alice before Betty got too far.

“Ask me again when you’re done with the articles. JB, let’s go. I want a milkshake and a pickle.” She said and watched her head out the door to the car, but before she did the same, she approached the bar and locked eyes with the pink-haired woman who was glaring at her.

“You think you can come in here and talk to us however you want?” She sneered, but Betty was having none of it. Putting her hands on the bar she leaned in and with all the venom left over from her recent explosion she answered.

“I’m all for girl power, if a man cheats, it’s the man’s fault not the fault of the woman he cheated with. But Jughead didn’t cheat, you walked in and hopped to snatch him, I love him because he’s a decent man, but rest assured I’m not some flower to be stomped all over. If I ever find out you so much as thought his name I will shave your tacky hair and stuff you with it. Stay away from my family. Skank.” She turned and exited with all the grace a pregnant woman in ill-fitting trousers could.

  *** * ***

Jughead was waiting impatiently by the couch when she walked in, taking in how tired and scared JB looked and how happy Betty seemed with a milkshake in one hand and a pickle in the other. “I think your dad has the hots for my mom, and I think my mom is pulling the strings to take advantage of him sexually.” She said without so much as a hello, leaving Jughead slack-jawed looking after her. 


	27. Present and Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riverdale is starting to feel normal again, but there's still a lot to do and deal with. Everything is easier with family around...right?
> 
> OOC: Another Two-Parter, part two out NOW!
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Betty spent a whole week cooking and cleaning, having extra story times, playing tag and hide and seek, teaching the kids how to make grass whistle and overall avoiding reality, but she didn’t know how much longer she could hold off on finding out what was happening. The issue was that to do that, she had to speak to her mother which was horrible and had side effects Betty didn’t want to deal with, like headaches, nausea, frustration, anger and plummeting self esteem. Being away from the happenings and the potential dangers, though, was admittedly making Betty feel safer.

 

**1 WEEK AFTER RELEASE**

“Tell me a thing.” JB said randomly walking into the kitchen while Betty cleaned the inside of the fridge, something she’d been ignoring for too long.

“Two days ago, I was in bed with Jughead and-“

“Eww! Not that type of thing!” JB nearly yelled, covering her ears and rolling her eyes at Betty, to which she shrugged,

“And Theo lost his footing and fell on Jughead’s junk. I laughed for ten minutes straight.” She deadpanned, scrubbing a sticky drop of syrup that refused to budge. JB was quiet for a full five seconds before she started laughing so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes.

“Oh my god! Yaaaas! This is the type of thing I love to know!”

“Okay! Okay…I’m back.” Jughead was panting, holding the Sunday newspaper and doubling over a bit to catch his breath.

“Are you okay?” Betty asked, amusement clear in her eyes.

“I ran.”

“From the car?”

“Yes.”

“Jughead…how can you be out of shape? Look at you!” Betty’s smirk said it all, he was too _fit_ to be out of shape, and yet, here he was, breathless after running the short distance between his car and the kitchen.

“I’ve been stress eating, okay?!” He handed her the paper and plopped down on a bench by the island to listen.

“I heard your son fell on your baby making goodies,” JB waggled her eyebrows, teasing him with a chuckle and Jughead glared.

The update to the story was short but got to the point, making Betty sigh in relief.

 

_The gang known as “The Ghoulies” previously notorious only for the distribution of Jingle Jangle and their seemingly unexplainable disappearance has been stopped by state authorities after leaders were found in a warehouse marked as their own with graffiti, housing an arsenal of guns. Upon arrest many argued the guns had been left by the motorcycle club mentioned in previous articles the Southside Serpents, without proof or reason for the gang who got rid of them years ago to give them ammunition, the police dismissed this possibility without further investigation._

 

Betty read that one paragraph time and time again finding herself falling into old habits, something inside her telling her to question her mother’s motives, feeling in her heart of hearts that something was amiss, every part of her reminded Betty of all the bad her mother had ever done to manipulate her, her choices, her life down to the man she was supposed to marry and live happily ever after with. Her mother who had never acknowledged the attack she’d lived through, who had never hugged or held her or whispered words of encouragement in her ear before a recital or a game. Her mother who had expected perfection and refused to ever be supportive or congratulate her when Betty inched towards that impossible goal. Alice Cooper might be a good journalist, but she was not a good mother and the pieces she was writing wouldn’t sell papers, so why was she here? Why did she suddenly care?

“I have to go.” Betty said too quickly, leaving the newspaper on the island and completely in her own world as she walked away towards the door.

“Betts-“ She jumped, not having realized that Jughead had caught up with her. “Are you okay? What can I do?”

“I don’t know. I have to go find her.” Jughead, of course, wanted to go with her, wanted to hover and take care of her and protect her, but it was clear as day that this was something she had to do on her own, this was a battle she needed to win for herself.

The drive to the Wyrm felt much shorter than it was, Betty was surprised and a little scared once she parked and she realized she hadn’t been paying any attention for most of the trip. She sat in the car quietly, looking at the turned off radio and taking deep breaths, she didn’t know why she thought FP would know where Alice was, but Betty did know she had to try.

She walked in slowly, nothing like the last several times she’d been there, walking in like a hurricane, yelling and demanding attention this time, she stepped into the space, familiar with the sticky floor but feeling it more than ever. She looked around, spying FP behind the bar with his tea cup. He noticed her coming and as she walked the short distance, took out another small cup.

“Hi, Betty.” They hadn’t spoken since she’d yelled at him, and it was clear that now he wasn’t sure where he stood with her. “Tea?”

“Good morning, FP. Yes, please.”

“Pickle?”

“No,” She cracked a smile, “No, thank you. I umm…I was wondering if you know where my mother is. I know she’s spoken to you and I need to get a hold of her.” She said, watching this big, rough looking man pour tea from an actual teapot into her cup. Her hands seemed to always rest on her small bump now, protecting the little life inside it.

“She’ll be here in a few minutes, actually. We’re meeting to talk about…some stuff.”

“Right.” Betty nodded and reached for her tea cup, taking a small sip. “Do you mind if I wait here?”

“Not at all, Doll. How’s Jug? How’s JB? How’s Theo? Hows-“ he motioned to her bump. FP hadn’t been the best parent, nobody claimed he had been, but there was an aura about him that made Betty feel at ease, like he cared, even with mistakes made, he had accepted them, not made excuses, and he had begged for a place in their family.

“Everyone is well. We might have a barbecue soon if you’d like to join. I can’t run around like I could before, so the more adults, the better I think.”

“Really? I would like that. Thank you. Look, I know you don’t want to hear this, but I wish someone would have told Jughead when I started trying to turn it all around so know that Alice is trying.”

“What she’s done is unforgivable, FP. I’m sorry, but I just can’t trust her.”

“Then don’t trust her, but think about it. She made sure our guns weren’t here when the cops came looking. Why would she take care of us? Who are we to her?”

“Can be honest? I don’t know. That’s what I’m here to ask her.”

“Speak of the devil,” Said FP, his eyes suddenly sparkling when the door opened, her mother in her pea coat and perfectly done hair stood there for a second, looking around before walking towards FP. Betty noticed the exact moment her mother’s smile faltered when it registered that she was there. It was just a flicker, but enough for her to catch and really, it made her happy that she was throwing her mother off in what she clearly thought of as her turf.

“Mother.”

“Betty, FP.” She smiled, “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same, but that’s not what I need to know right now, mom.”

*** * ***

Betty was sitting on the couch, holding a tiny stuffed elephant against her bump and staring at a fire she had insisted Jughead light, even though it was warm outside. He had asked her if she wanted to talk about whatever had happened, but she had shaken her head quietly. Betty wanted to think the worst of her mother, she certainly had enough reason to keep Alice away from her household and her life, but then she had asked the very question she was desperate to answer: “Why” and she hadn’t been able to get the words out of her head. “Because your children need and deserve to have grandparents, Elisabeth. You can raise your children however you want, do it all differently, make them underachievers, it won’t reflect on me as a parent, but I want to be a grandmother to your kids too.”

Betty was confused, she didn’t know if Alice was, as always, manipulating her, if she was being honest, if she was starting to repent as FP had told her she was. Whatever it was, though, Betty needed to figure it out before she decided what to do in regards to her mother.

“Mommy?” Theo pulled her out of her head and she turned with a smile at the boy climbing the couch. He wrapped his tiny arms around her and rested his head between her tiny baby bump and the toy elephant. “I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for, Sweetheart?” She held on to the toy with one hand but used the other to comb Theo’s hair back and away from his eyes.

“Because you’re sad. But I think it’s okay to be sad sometimes.”

“Yes, it is okay some times.”

“Did grandma hurt you? Did she hurt the baby?” His big eyes were looking up at her, trusting of whatever she told him and she realized how easy it would be to lie or to make him believe and think whatever she wanted him to. She understood in that moment the power Alice had had over her her whole life and she felt like a good person upon the realization that she would never use it to sway Theo in any one direction. He was his own person and he deserved the right to figure out who he was without her convincing him.

“No, honey, grandma didn’t hurt me or the baby.”

“Good. She’s not allowed to hurt you and Peanut. Or I won’t like her anymore.” He was so determined, almost angry as he said it, and Betty kept combing his hair, noticing his eyes starting to droop closed slowly.

“She didn’t, but sometimes people make mistakes, or they’re bad, or they hurt someone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t like them ever. It just means they need a chance to be better.”

“Are you going to give grandma a chance to be better?”

“I don’t know, Little One. I’m not sure.”

“Okay. I think…” He yawned, “I think it’s nice having a mommy that loves you. If grandma is mean maybe you can find a new mommy and I can have a grandma?” That was all she really needed, Alice was right, Theo deserved a proper family, that included grandparents and though Betty wasn’t ready to let Alice be part of their lives, maybe she needed to try, like she had with JB for Jughead.

*** * ***

“Stop bouncing your leg, it’s driving me crazy.” Betty whispered to Jughead, sitting in the waiting room of a place she felt she’d already spent too much time in.

“I’m nervous. What if something is wrong? What if-“

“Really? Jug, everything is fine, I know because I’m getting fatter by the day and we’re safe and happy and…you know what I want?”

“A pickle?”

“No. Well, yes, but I also want you to relax. I have enough stress for the two of us.”

“I don’t like that you’re stressed. I wish I could take it away.”

“Yeah, well…I was thinking of maybe giving my mom a shot. I don’t know yet, I’m thinking Theo deserves a grandma, and she’s the only mother I have, maybe she can change? I don’t know.”

“Betts, I don’t think-“

“Ms. Cooper?” Called a nurse and they both got up a bit mechanically. Jughead wasn’t so sure about letting his child near someone Theo himself had described as reminiscent of his biological mother. Maybe this wasn’t the time or the place, but they would certainly have to talk about this.

The doctor had been right last time they’d been there, tissues were necessary, from looking at Peanut who was now looking like a tiny human to hearing the heartbeat, strong and steady. It was the most beautiful thing in the world, and though she had read everywhere that there was no feeling like it for a first time mother, she had felt it once more, when she had signed Theo’s adoption and it filled her with joy knowing that even in a biological level she would never differentiate between her children, something she had worried about, even if she had never voiced it.

By the time they left, red face, puffy eyed, and holding onto each other like teenagers who had just fallen in love for the first time the world seemed bigger, brighter and significantly more scary…and beautiful.

Jughead opened the car door for her but before she could move to get in wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck.

“Thank you. For making me a dad…and a man.” His tone was sincere and sweet and still a little sniffly from crying. She turned in his hold and pressed her lips to his.

“I love you.”

“I don’t think love is a big enough word, Betts.”

 

**2 WEEKS AFTER RELEASE**

Riverdale was turned upside down, making national news and being featured in notorious papers. This, in turn brought camera crews, but much to the disdain of Riverdale’s elite, the crews focused mostly on the harsh and less than ideal living situations on the hard working people of the Southside and how it seemed that no matter how much they worked, they couldn’t ever make it to the other side of town, stuck in place by a system rigged by local government. Social media was all over the topic, with it’s own hash tag and soon, the conversation brought pressure to the investigators, finding themselves between a rock and a hard place and making a harsh decision.

_The local government has been suspended and a temporary government has been put in place as a preliminary investigation comes to a close, determining Riverdale’s own mayor unfit for office, fraudulent and a danger to society. No information has been released by the authorities, however, it is clear that bribes were taken in exchange for land…_

The article continued but Betty could barely read the rest. Whatever was happening was either much deeper than Betty had expected, or it was getting blown out of proportion by her mother, but there wasn’t an angle Betty could figure out in which that would benefit Alice and Alice did nothing that didn’t benefit her in at least some part. Information kept coming out about the Ghoulies using children and particularly at-risk youth as mules, even convincing foster children in good houses that their foster parents were using them for the government check only and that they should join the gang instead, that they were a real family. There was also more information on the dirty deals Lodge Industries had with local government to take over land including Sunny Side Trailer Park and effectively forcing people with no money and nowhere to go to either pay their dues or be left without a home. Thankfully, all of that came to an end when the government took possession of the illegally purchased land, which turned out to be every single piece of property purchased by Lodge Industries in Riverdale and even some of Greendale. Now people could breathe again, but still, they no longer owned their properties or businesses. Enter Betty Cooper.

“Hey, Betts…” She looked up from her computer, where she’d been typing furiously for the last few hours. “Huh?”

“It’s late, you need to get some sleep, Love.” Jughead took off his glasses, the ones he only wore after long hours of writing when letters and numbers began to look the same. He had stood from his desk and she hadn’t even noticed.

“Oh. Okay, let’s go to bed.” She smiled at him, shut her laptop and rested it on her waist as she got up.

“Leave it here.” Jughead said with a raised eyebrow, “What could be so important that it can’t wait until tomorrow? What are you writing?”

“Don’t laugh.” She said, tightening her hold on her computer, she was not going to leave it down here, there was a lot left to do.

“Okay?”

“I’m raising money for the cause. I think I could really do it, between what I get and my savings, I know we have a kid on the way, but we’ll be okay, and it’s a good cause and if we can we should help and-“

“Betts, deep breath. What cause? Can we pretend I don’t know what you’re talking about? Because you’re not explaining yourself.”

“Oh.” She chewed on her bottom lip, “I’m raising money to buy all the properties back from the government. The houses, the businesses, everything.”

Jughead stared at her for a moment and took a step back, “You’re going to take that from people who have nothing else? Betty, what are you thinking? That makes you as bad as those people who took it all in the first place!”

“What? Why? We’d be like…a bank with no profit. I just want to help.”

“Whatever you’re trying to do you’re not being clear.” He said, too tired to fight and surprised at Betty’s lack of thinking. Betty sat back down and opened her computer showing him the plans and the Go Fund Me page. The idea was to purchase it all back from the government, who didn’t want to deal with having to get rid of properties in such a small town, they would get it all at the best possible price and then sell it back to it’s previous owners at the same price they had gotten, no profit. They would be able to pay small monthly fees until they homes and businesses were theirs once again and Riverdale would go back to how it should be, how it had been for a long time. Safe.

“You’re amazing.” He kissed her hair. “But you staying up wont make it any easier to get the funding. Let’s go to sleep and tomorrow morning we’ll tackle this together. Betts, some people wont want to be tethered to anybody else, some people rather pay rent, some people wont want to pay you anything for something that was theirs to begin with. It’s not that simple.”

“Well…we’ll figure it out.”

“Bed. Now.” He took her computer from her and put it down on his desk, placing a heavy hand on her lower back and leading her out of the office and to the stairs with his other hand protectively over her baby bump and a kiss to the side of her head.

 

**3 WEEKS AFTER RELEASE**

The police was done with an investigation that ended pointing out all the vandalism to Betty’s house was caused by the Ghoulies under the Lodge’s demand to get the value of the neighborhood down. Though they had affected all houses in the area some amount, having found out Betty was connected to ex-Serpent Leader Jughead Jones had been enough for them to focus on her property and learning this had sent Betty off on a long and loud rant mostly consisting of “How did they not know it was them?! WE knew it was them! The police is useless in this town!” along with several words she would later regret saying in front of the kids.

On the bright side, the investigation being over meant the house was now released to her again, and for the first time in a while she asked Jughead to drive her there, wanting to assess the damage. Once there, she had stared at the house, not recognizing it at all and sniffled as a couple of tears fell, but it was no more than two minutes before she gave a quiet “Okay,” and got on her knees to start picking up broken parts of the fence, piling wood and glass on a corner, pulling the weeds that had taken over the few plants that hadn’t been uprooted. Jughead tried to get her to stop, but she was just looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said

“I put so much love here,” It was enough for him to understand. She had given the house all it needed to become a home and now it looked no better than a city station where thugs hung out, tagged and marked, broken and abused, she saw herself in this house, she felt the abuse herself.

Jughead asked a neighbor for a garbage bag, an old lady who smiled tightly but gave it to him and got to helping her. Betty only managed to be on her knees fifteen minutes before her back began to hurt too much, so she let herself fall back and sit on the floor.

“I’m sorry, darling.” He sat next to her and kissed her hair. “We’ll get it back to beautiful in no time, okay? We’ll spoil it.” He said and Betty nodded.

“Let’s start with the outside so the neighbors don’t hate us.” She whispered, feeling defeated and looking around at everything she had once finished having been undone.

“Okay. But you have to be careful. I know you love the house, Betts, but Peanut comes first, right?”

“Of course. You’re right. Let’s…let’s go home.”

Betty was quiet and thoughtful on the ride back, thinking of all the things they would have to do, how much work the house would take and pregnant, or with a baby it would be impossible to finish it all. Her logical mind told her to sell the house, but at the new, lowered value she would lose money and she didn’t want to get rid of the house, even as hurt and it seemed, she loved it.

*** * ***

“Hey, Betts,” Jughead peaked his head into their bedroom with a cup of tea as he did nearly everyday after her nap. Recently she had been trying so hard to fight the exhaustion and run around, denying Jelly’s help at times, claiming JB would have to go back to school eventually and she needed to get used to her responsibilities as a pregnant woman, that Jughead had contacted the OBGYN, who in turn had told Betty to start paying attention to her body or go on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. In turn, Betty began taking naps.

“Hi.” She smiled sweetly at him blinking slowly, trying to wake up even as she yawned.

“Here you go.” He set down the tea on the nightstand and got on the bed next to her by climbing over her. “How are you doing?”

“I’m okay. Just sleepy.” She chewed on her bottom lip and snuggled closer to him.

“Good…good. Right. That’s…”

“Good?”

“Yes. Good.”

“What is it, Jug?”

“Well…things are starting to settle down a little here, and you have JB and if you wanted to, my dad could help around too, you know.”

“Okay?”

“It’s just…I got a call from JB’s school. They really want me to do the lecture, and I would love it if you could come, but then we would have to take Lia and Liam and Theo and you’re pregnant, and the kids wouldn’t really know what to do without at least one of us here and it means missing school for the three little ones and-“

“You really want to give the lecture?” She smiled, reaching for his hand and watching his small, shy nod. “Then do it. Schedule it. I can manage here, Jug.”

“Only if you’re sure, if you’re not comfortable with me leaving then I won’t. It can wait, if they really want me they’ll wait.”

“I rather you go now than when Peanut is born, Okay? It’s perfectly fine. I promise I’ll make it work.”

“Are you really sure?”

“I’m a hundred percent sure.” She smiled and he leaned in to peck her lips.

For what felt like the first time in decades, Jughead deepened the kiss, Betty’s hands immediately going to the nape of his neck, tangling in his hair and laying down, pulling him closer. Since he’d admitted to being scared of sex after the incident, Betty hadn’t pushed anymore, not wanting to make him feel he had to touch her for her to love him, but…well, pregnancy was making her a lot of things: hungry, tired, needy, emotional, and _horny_.

Her bump was growing steadily but slowly, so it wasn’t really a problem when he got fully on top of her, biting and pulling her bottom lip before pulling away only to start kissing down her body.

“Is this okay?” He asked, eyes dark, looking up at her, his tongue coming out to lap at her peaked nipple over her babydoll, the only piece of clothing that still fit her comfortably with her new boobs.

“Mmm…hmmmm…” Betty’s breathing had picked up already while she tried to keep herself in check, not wanting to push him towards anything he might not be ready for.

“What about this?” His eyes were dark while his fingers moved up her inner thigh, making her bite her bottom lip and let out a sigh. “Can I touch you, Betty?” He had moved so his lips hovered over her ear, his breath heavy and hot against her skin, she moved her hand up to his hair and nodded.

“Please, Juggie?” she begged and it seemed to be all it took for him to discard his shirt and undo the button of his pants in a frenzied move that reminded him only of the urgency they had ravaged each other their first night together.

It only took a few minutes for Jughead to have her moaning his name and he said hers, too, like a prayer, without pause reminding her how beautiful and magnificent and incredible she was.

 

**5 WEEKS AFTER RELEASE (17 weeks preggers)**

Betty worked tirelessly, and even as Jughead prepared for his lecture, he finished a book and made sure to get a great advanced for his next one, his publicist loving Betty’s idea and deciding to use it to drive Jughead’s fame as an angel, helping a small town with each purchase of his book; Jughead hated the idea. To be safe, he had also gone to the bank without telling Betty to secure a little more money in case it was necessary after negotiations. Before the properties are even released for auction, Jughead and Betty sauntered into the city office to make an offer encompassing all the businesses and most of the properties that had been taken away from the Lodges.

Shocked by the crazy pregnant lady and her angry-looking baby daddy offering more money than any one person had ever given the local government at one time, the auditor simply nodded, glad not to have to stay in a small town too long to get rid of all the properties and sat with them to go through and negotiate a fair price for each property one by one. They went through a few small stores, the trailer park, houses, and eventually they made their way to land. One of which Betty had noticed Jughead’s eyes gleam at, even if he’d said ‘we wont be getting that. Nobody will buy it back’. Betty had paused and looked at what on a blue print simply seemed as an empty lot and put it in the maybe pile.

They spent five hours total fighting with the auditor, who was trying to get as close to top dollar as he could and eventually Jughead had just said ‘All these people are broke, that’s why their homes were taken away. There are no people in the country looking to move to Riverdale, so you either stop being a hard-ass or you get stuck with empty properties all around town causing more trouble and more press time.’ This had scared the stressed-looking man enough to get on their side and help as much as he could when it came to price. He was even nice enough to recommend they open a non profit organization and do this under that, helping them avoid property taxes.

When Jughead wasn’t looking she had slipped that empty lot into her pile of yesses, and felt bouncy and happy when they walked out of there with folders upon folders of titles and paperwork that signified, at least to her, the beginning of a better, fairer town. Betty felt invincible.

It was with a bubbly feeling, happiness bursting at the seams, and a folder in hand that she and Jug showed up at Pop’s.

“My favorite family! Look at that! That wasn’t there last time you were here!” Pop said happily, coming around the counter and motioning to Betty’s bump asking for permission to touch it. Betty nodded, gasping as soon as Pop put his hand on the small bump, her eyes widening and filling with tears.

“Peanut kicked.” She whispered, “It’s…the first time.” She said and everyone beamed and stared at her stomach as if there was a way to make it happen again.

“Hey, Pop." Said Jughead with a grin after a few seconds of touching her bump all over in hopes to feel a kick himself, slapping his shoulder as a hello.

“Your booth is open, let me make you milkshakes,” the old man said quickly, but Jughead shook his head.

“Join us in the booth, we have a surprise for you.”

The way Pop’s face lit up at that made Betty’s heart both expand and break, when was the last time someone had given him something? She wondered and suddenly she wanted nothing more than for him to become part of their weekly routine, visiting weekends, becoming part of his favorite family as it were.

“For me?”

“Yes, for you…and for us, too.” Betty assured.

Confused, Pop Tate nodded and motioned for them to go sit, following closely behind and sitting in front of them when they slid into the booth one next to the other.

“Pop…I want to apologize because we haven’t been clear about something very important to us. When you say we’re your favorite family, we hope you say that because we’re _your_ family, we certainly think of you as ours.” Betty said, her eyes tearing up. Pop reached across the table, patting her hand and pushing his own tears back.

“She’s right, Pop, and I haven’t even told her what you did for me.” Jughead added.

“It’s just that…I want our Peanut to come here growing up with Theo. I want him or her to go through all the milkshakes and realize that birthday cake is the best one, even if it is only vanilla and sprinkles. I want to come until I’m old and grey and to tell Theo about the first date his dad and I had in this booth. I want all that and so much more, I can’t imagine a Riverdale without Pop’s Chock’Lit Shoppe and I don’t want to.” She sniffled and looked away a little to push back tears.

“I don’t know how much longer there will be a Riverdale, but I promise that I’ll be here until I’m kicked out.”

“Well, that’s why we’re here.” Said Jughead, wrapping an arm around Betty’s shoulder and reaching with his free hand for the folder she’d placed between them. “We think this is yours. Make sure you don’t lose it.” He said, handing it over.

Pop grabbed onto the cardboard folder with a confused smile and opened it with shaking hands. He stared at the papers so long, he must have read it several times, but it wasn’t until he looked up that Jughead and Betty noticed the tear trail down his cheeks.

“What is this?” He asked with a waver in his voice.

“The Chock’Lit Shoppe.” Said Jughead and Pop got up, standing next to the booth and stretching his arms wide for a hug they both took their time taking.

“Of course you’re family.” He whispered to Betty.

“Good. Then we expect you every Sunday for lunch from now on.” She said back with her own tears falling down her face.

“What do I owe you? I can give you my books and we can work out a payment or-“

“Pop…this is a _gift_. We’re not mentioning it again.” Said Jughead, leaving no room for debate.

“Sit, sit…sit. I’ll get milkshakes and fries and…and a story. For Peanut.” He said, nodding shakily.

He was back in five minutes flat, all of which were spent with Betty leaning on Jughead, a smile etched on her face and a sense of peace filling her up with joy.

*** * ***

“A long time ago…” Pop began the story, and too soon it became obvious that the fictional characters in it were Jughead, Jelly, FP and himself. Pop had always been proud of his simple but delicious food, so, when bags of buns came squashed, he threw them out. Jughead had been young when Pop had first seen him take a bag from his garbage on the back of the diner. After seeing him the first time, he began paying attention, noticing Jughead take things, though only ever from the garbage, never stealing, never hurting anyone, never walking out on a bill, in fact, he never seemed to eat at Pop’s but he did come in day after day asking for a job, the problem with that was that he couldn’t hire a _kid_ , and Jughead really was just a child back then. With apologies and a pain in his heart, Pop began cooking perfectly good food and putting it in to-go containers before placing it near the garbage where all the “good but unusable” food went for Jughead to take and for some time, Jughead thought he was just getting lucky with orders that were maybe made wrong or never picked up. Sadly, he noticed Pop was trying to help and he didn’t take kindly to it, waling in one night at a time no child should have been awake, let alone so far from their home and yelled at the old man about hating hand outs and not needing pity. Jughead hadn’t expected Pop to just pull him into a hug and for the first time since his mother had left, Jughead let himself break down. Jughead did apologize that night, and though he didn’t explain the extent of the situation, he had admitted things weren’t great at home and that he needed help. As a compromise, Pop gave him work, but only on weekends and after school, and he insisted for Jughead to do homework before he did a single second of work.

When the time came, Pop watched from the back of the room as Jughead graduated and worked hard doing whatever he needed, until his first book came out, with a dedication page that merely read _“To the man who allowed me to live when surviving seemed impossible. This book is as much yours as it is mine, if not for the endless cups of coffee it would never be finished. Thank you, Pop, for everything and for everything else, too.”_


	28. Future and Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riverdale is starting to feel normal again, but there's still a lot to do and deal with. Everything is easier with family around...right?
> 
> OOC: Another Two-Parter...sorry! 
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

**7 WEEKS AFTER RELEASE**

Betty was still playing around with the idea of including Alice in their lives more, but she knew without a doubt that it wouldn’t be a black and white situation, she needed a way to introduce her slowly, where she could watch her closely, so she had thought that maybe Alice should be invited to the barbecue they were having right before Jughead left for Columbia with JB, who apparently needed to be there, leaving Betty alone with FP to take care of the kids. It wouldn’t be impossible, but she was a little nervous about it.

Whatever the case, it was the need to know where Alice was and wanting to make sure FP would be at the barbecue, that Betty walked into the Wyrm and immediately stopped dead on her tracks. She knew Alice wasn’t faithful, neither was Hal, but she had never _seen_ it, and suddenly, she felt shocked and angry. She stalked up to the couple, lost in giggle as their lips parted, PDA was _not_ Alice Cooper’s style, at least, Betty didn’t think it was, but right then, she didn’t know who this Alice Cooper was at all…or FP for that matter, getting involved with such a horrid monster.

“What about dad?” She asked, icicles in her tone making Alice turn suddenly, shock, sadness, anger all flashing through her face before it settled in it’s usual non-descript, uptight emotion.

“Hello, Elisabeth.”

“What. About. Dad?” She asked again, a hand over her bump as she swayed in place as if wanting to distract the baby from the stress she was feeling. Alice’s eyes lowered to the bump and Betty thought she saw tenderness there, but simply looked back up cooly, smoothing her skirt down and clearing her throat.

“You don’t need to worry about your father, Elisabeth. He’s in bad company, he ran to Penelope not long after you left.”

“What?”

“Stop doing that with your face, dear, you’ll get wrinkles.”

Standing next to Alice, but keeping quiet, FP rubbed the back of his neck, he hadn’t had this conversation with Alice, and frankly, he wasn’t planning on it.

“Betts, what did he say, come on, I have to-“ Jughead stopped speaking when he looked up from his feet as he put the car keys in his pocket. He had been waiting for her in the car, ready to go into town looking for a few things for his trip, but she had taken long enough for him to worry and now, he wished he’d have stayed in the car as Betty turned slowly looking horrified.

“Jughead!” She said, terror and anger in her eyes “I think we’re like siblings or something! This is not going to work for me…for us.” She said, a protective hand always on her tiny bump. Jughead walked up to them slowly, as if afraid they would attack him.

“I mean…” He shrugged, looking around at them, his eyes settling happily on Betty and looking at her like she was the sun and the moon and the stars. “Not if we get married first.” It wasn’t the first time he mentioned marriage since the pregnancy and it seemed to come up more and more often, but it was always like this, with a unassuming tone and an air of simplicity, almost as if it was a joke, almost as if it didn’t matter, and so, the topic changed and they moved on and it had never been taken too seriously by Betty.

“Yeah…right.”

“I’m serious, Betts, let’s get married.”

“What?” She looked at him like he was insane, they couldn’t get married, they had so much going on and they had only been together for a few months, it _was_ a crazy plan…right?

“Seriously, Darling,” said Alice out of the blue, making Betty jump a little having forgotten where they were and who was around. FP looked happy, a shit eating grin in place and a proud nod that didn’t seem to stop. “You’ll get wrinkles, and you’re already fat, just say yes so we can all move on.”

Betty turned to her and FP and sighed. “We’re having a barbecue before Jug and Jelly leave on their trip. We wanted to extend an invitation. You’re expected there at ten to help with set up. We’ll see you then.” She took Jughead’s hand and pulled him out of the Wyrm, pointing out this was something they needed to talk about together and alone and Jughead let the topic drop, focusing instead on the shopping.

 

**8 WEEKS AFTER RELEASE**

Betty woke up well rested and happy for once, but Jughead wasn’t in bed. She took a shower, got dressed in a sundress that barely closed over her boobage, and got ready for a girl day with JB, starting at the grocery store. By the time she had gotten downstairs, Jughead had left her breakfast ready and was in the backyard building something while the waking kids helped or watched or ran around without a care in the world.

“Think he’s finally making the swings?” She asked Jellybean while she ate her eggs.

“I hope so. I would kick his butt, I can totally go higher than him!” Jelly laughed.

After a good morning and a kiss, Jughead sent her away on her well deserved girl day. Jelly had been feeling so guilty about having to go on the trip with Jughead, her professor pointing out that if her brother could make it to the class so could she, or she wouldn’t get the extra points from having gotten Jughead to speak.

They walked around the store with Betty putting food, canned goods, vegetables and fruit all the while Jellybean, true to her name threw nothing but unhealthy snacks in from cookies and pretzels, to candy, chocolate and ice cream not a single item she threw in the cart was health, but this only made Betty laugh, glad Jughead had promised to keep the kids busy all day, it would certainly be a change of pace.

Once the groceries are paid for and ready to be delivered to the house (at JB’s insistence that going back would ruin the vibe of their girl day) they headed to a salon, talking about the kids, the pregnancy, Jughead, their parents, JB and Betty had really become fast friends, but they seldom had time alone to just be friends.

They spent a whole day being spoiled with manicures, pedicures, facemasks, brunch and buying themselves some clothes, JB for the trip back to school and Betty because quite simply, nothing fit anymore and she was tired of wearing baggy workout wear. It really was a fun day, and they were laughing over nothing when they came through the door around six to find Jughead dressed in slacks and button down shirt with sleeves rolled up, Betty looked at him confused, but without a word he offered his arm and waited for her to take it and walking her outside. The backyard was unrecognizable with fairy lights and flowers and music. There was a perfectly built canopy with the carved wooden flowers she so often caught him making at the shop, even when she had first moved in and his excuse was making decoration for her furniture. It was, without a doubt or an ounce of exaggeration, a dreamscape.

“Jug, this is so…” She looked around at the kids, all dressed to the nines, even if a few were accessorizing with fingers up noses. Off in a corner were FP and Alice and someone she didn’t expect to ever see again, Polly.

“Betts, I didn’t do this right the first time when we were in bed, or the second time when we were on the couch, or the third time in the office or the fourth time in the kitchen or the millionth time at the Wyrm. I figured it’s time to do it right. Properly. Because a girl like you, the woman I have gotten to know and love and never assume anything about, does deserve the best at the very least, Betts, _my_ best.” He paused and she smiled, still confused, but so taken by him that everything around her disappear, so much so that she didn’t even notice Theo in a tiny suit walking up to them with a small velvet box and holding it up to Jughead right as Jug dropped on one knee and a tear escaped Betty’s eye.

“Betty Cooper, you have made me the luckiest man on Earth simply for having talked to me. But you have also taken your time with me, gotten to know me, made me a father and even if you don’t know it, you have fixed so many broken pieces and put back so many others I had thought misplaced forever. Betty Cooper… I have been in love with you since you walked into my dusty shop only to fix things I hadn’t even noticed had splintered. My heart has never felt this full, so ready to burst any second or so pliable and able to keep growing. Will you please, as the mother of my children, the love of my life, the inspiration for books not yet written and those written about you even when I didn’t know you yet…will you marry me?”

 

“Juggie…” Her voice wavered and she nodded, tears falling down her cheeks while Jug slipped the ring on her finger and Theo stage whispered ‘Those are happy tears’.

They hugged and cried together and kissed and out of nowhere suddenly music was playing and their picnic table was full of food and the kids were running around again and a whole party was taking place.

Alice nodded at Betty and kissed her cheek in a half-hearted congratulatory gesture, FP hugged her like she was his own long lost daughter and Polly, well, Polly pulled her in for a hug that made her start crying all over again.

“I’m only here for a little while, until Jughead comes back from his trip with his sister, so I don’t want to fight,” Said Polly, “But you didn’t tell me I have a nephew? That you’re pregnant? _Mom_ knew before me? What the hell, Betty?”

“I’m sorry,” was all she managed before Theo came in demanding a first dance which involved him standing on her feet and holding her hands.

 

**9 WEEKS AFTER RELEASE**

The morning Jughead and JB left for Columbia, Betty realized Jughead hadn’t packed boxers…he had, however, packed a stack of printed pictures of the kids and her, _printed pictures_ additional to all the pictures on his phone. They would only be gone for four days, but Jughead was acting like it was the end of the world, making Betty promise to pick up all his calls, especially his video calls, and to miss him. Betty had promised to make it happen and spent a whole night trying to make him feel better about going.

“Daddy, you’ll come back?”

“Of course, Squirt!” Jughead smiled, booping his nose and kissing his hair. “I could never stay away from you for long.

“Promise?”

“I swear, and we’ll be able to talk anytime you call unless I’m in the class or the plane, okay?”

“Okay.” Theo was sad and scared, and no matter how many times both Jughead and Betty promised that Jug and JB would be back soon, Theo had been hesitant to believe them. “I don’t like that you have to go away.” Theo whispered, looking at his feet.

“I promise to run back as soon as I can, Little One. Give me a biiiiiig hug!” He said, holding out his arms and Theo held onto him so long that Jughead got up still holding him.

“Can I come with you?” Theo asked into his ear.

“I would love for you to come, Love, but then who would take care of mommy?” Jug asked and Theo looked back at her with a nod.

“I’ll take care of mommy. But you have to come back.”

“We’ll come back! We have to! Otherwise, who will I take to Pop’s for secret milkshakes?” Jelly asked happily and Theo’s eyes shot wide, a finger going to his lips shushing her and making everyone laugh.

“Mommy doesn’t know!”

“Mommy knows everything, Theo.” Betty said and kissed his hair.

For the time they were gone, Betty would be getting help from FP, which she was excited about, and Polly, which she wasn’t too excited about. In her time there, Polly had been polite to a fault, but everything she said felt like an attack, not unlike Alice, who had also offered to help, and Betty was now thinking about asking her to help by keeping Polly busy and away from her.

*** * ***

The flight was short, but Jughead wanted to minimize travel times, so driving wasn’t an option, even if it wasn’t too far away. He was nervous the whole way there with JB chuckling and shaking her head as she tried to make him smile, it didn’t take too long, in fact, as soon as the stewardess walked by offering coffee, Jughead nodded and gave his own offer.

“Wanna see a picture of my son?” His eyes sparkled with hope, and JB jumped in to explain,

“It’s the first time he goes out of town without him.” The woman seemed to understand and nodded for only a quick second, aweing and apologizing when she had to step away to help the next person. Unbeknownst to JB this interaction would set the pace for the next four days.

*** * ***

Applause had welcomed Jughead into the classroom, making him rub the back of his neck, not unlike FP did when he was nervous. JB had been allowed a phone so Betty could watch the whole thing and they were both beaming with pride. He gave his short lecture, spoke of his books and then, as advised by the professor, opened the floor for questions. Some students took it seriously, others though, namely one Forsithia did not.

“Does your inspiration come from the fact that you peed the bed until you were five?” She asked and everyone laughed, Jug included, shaking his head and denying it.

“Does your brooding exterior match your bubblegum and rainbows interior often?” It was clear that she was a class clown, but her professor seemed to love her, laughing along, and Jughead did do a great job of taking even the inane questions and answering them with some advice or tidbit about writing and literature and staying current in a constantly changing world.

“From one to a thousand, with one being the coolest and a thousand being the coolest, how cool do you think your kid sister is?” This one seemed to go just a little too far and he smirked at her,

“Not nearly as cool as the other people I live with, but bearable, I suppose.” He winked and JB heard a girl somewhere behind her whisper ‘he winked at me, I’m totally going to go for it!’ making JB turn and glare.

“Are you going to write your love story? Because, let’s be honest, she’s WAY out of your league”

“I’ve never thought about it…but yeah, maybe. She certainly deserves books written about her, doesn’t she?”

“Yeah, Jug, she does…she deals with you!” JB pulled him out of his moment making everyone laugh again.

“How does it feel? To be here?” JB asked, this time, meaning it seriously, and Jug seemed to catch onto that.

“Like…like I’m not deserving. I just wrote to save myself, and when I stopped I didn’t want to save myself anymore. I was lucky that I was forced back into a life I could handle, whether I wanted it or not, and now, deserving or not, I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

People all around the class nodded, some of them seemingly understanding, others relating, and JB took that as the best end to a stressful class.

“You’re boring, can we skype with Theo?”

*** * ***

Once the class was over, JB pulled him around campus, showing him around, but it didn’t escape her that each time she stepped away she came back to some girl pushing her boobs together and laughing at something he’d said, something he hadn’t meant to be a joke, which was clear by the confused look on his face, but he would, more often than not reply with “wanna see a picture of my son and his momma?” with starry eyes. Some girls agreed, thinking it was a joke, others sneered and walked away.

“JB!” Jughead said, frustrated, walking towards her as she bought them coffee at a cart, she had left him waiting at a small table, but he was walking towards her with such despair in his eyes that she thought something horrible had happened.

“What? WHAT?” She asked again when he didn’t reply the first time.

“JB, people your age are using words I don’t know again! What’s a DAB? Stay close. Your people scare me.” Making JB burst out laughing and him stand sheepishly with his hands in his pockets.

A girl got in line behind them and slowly started moving to stand next to him.

“You’re the author that’s visiting, right? I heard about you, you’re like, really great.” She smiled and Jughead grabbed onto JB’s sleeve not unlike Theo did.

“Shoo!” She said with a dark tone, “I’m sick of bitches flirting with my brother, it’s gross. Go away.”

“Oh. I wasn’t…I was just making conversation.”

“Like hell you were. He’s engaged, has a kid and his fiancé is pregnant. You’re not going to fuck him and he’s not going to think of what could have been because his girl looks like a model. Now shoo.”

“It’s true, she does, wanna see a picture of my son with his momma?” He said suddenly happy again, and the girl huffed and walked away. “I hate your people.”

“Me too, that’s why I’m officially moved in with you forever.” JB replied.


	29. Sisterly Love and Motherhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Polly is...around, Jughead can't seem to understand collegiate culture, and Theo...well, Theo's perfect. 
> 
>  
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Polly seemed to want to stick around, even with Betty telling her several times that she didn’t need help and that Polly should just go. The first day Jughead was gone, FP stopped by for dinner, having been invited by Theo who had simply said “If daddy’s not here, Grandpa should be.”

Betty had been cooking and FP had been running around the backyard with the kids, when Polly appeared out of nowhere and sat on the island with a roll of her eyes.

“You can’t make that, they wont eat it, they’re children.” She said in an exasperated tone as if she’d said the same thing a million times. Betty looked down at the vegetables she was chopping, wondering how Polly could possibly know what she was making based solely on the way she was chopping. “Just get some chicken nuggets and fry them.” She said like it was obvious.

“Umm…no, I think I’ll be making the mini potpies, they’re healthier and definitely better tasting.” Betty smiled, trying, as always, to keep the peace. It was difficult to think back to a time when they had loved each other, shared everything about their lives, even covered for one another with silly secrets, like food they snuck into their rooms without Alice’s approval. Betty wasn’t sure when Polly had began hating her and pulling away, but now she felt like a stranger.

“Whatever, they’re not going to eat. You’re going to send a bunch of kids to bed hungry because you want to prove you can make this meal. It’s stupid.”

“Polly, if you want, you can make them chicken nuggets, but I don’t think I’ll change my plan for today.”

“Fine.” Was all she said before heading to the freezer and grunting when she saw that Betty didn’t buy pre-made foods, always preferring to make her own. The twenty minutes Polly was gone were heaven, Betty dressed the table without having to deal with Polly’s crazy ideas that children would make a mess, they never did, so it didn’t make sense to Betty to get rid of the table cloth or give them smaller cups. To be fair and nice Betty set up the mini pot pies on plates around the huge table for the kids to grab them as they wished and once Polly was back and tossing the chicken nuggets in the oven, Betty had decided to prepare a salad to go with the nuggets since mashed potatoes would take too long. Polly only complained again about children not wanting to eat salad.

“Alrighty, I know this looks different,” Betty said when everyone had washed their hands and sat down around the table. “But I think sometimes it’s good to try things differently.”

“Can we try both Ms. Cooper?” Asked one of the kids near the end of the table, a kid she had only seen once before.

“Of course, eat as much as you want of anything you want, but first…”

“First we say our awesomes!” Theo said happily,

“Yes, we do, who wants to start?”

They went around the table mentioning one awesome thing that happened to them that day, from jumping super high in P.E. to getting an A on a test to having played the best game of tag ever in the backyard, and then plates were being passed around. Polly looked annoyed when the kids grabbed potpies and dug in without so much as questioning the vegie contents.

“I don’t like these!” Said Theo loudly putting the nugget down, “Mommy can you make _your_ nuggets tomorrow?” He asked and all around the table the kids nodded, Polly looked livid, but even as proud as Betty felt she only nodded.

“Of course, sweetheart.”

After that, dinner went without a hitch, the nuggets mostly untouched.

*** * ***

With the sound of a made connection the kids clapped and Jughead came into view. It was story time and Betty, a laptop and FP sat on the couch.

“Daddy! How’s col-how’s comlunia?” Asked Theo, bouncing even in his seated position.

“It’s fun, Little One! I think maybe one day we’ll take a field trip.”

“Auntie Jelly, Auntie Jelly! My butt hurts!” Theo said and everyone laughed.

“Did you fall?” Asked JB, pushing Jughead away from the camera to take over.

“NOOO! But I sit on you for story time and now I’m sitting on the floor and the floor is hard. I don’t like it.”

“You can sit on your aunt Polly’s lap.” JB tried, having spoken to Betty earlier about the fact that Theo wasn’t taking too kindly to his other aunt.

“Nope! She’s on a chair. That’s not good for story time.” He said, and Betty didn’t even bother meeting her sister’s eyes. She had moved a chair near the carpet and sat, back straight and one ankle behind the other, it was all excessively polite for a family this warm and it was slowly but surely starting to piss Betty off.

“Okay, well…let’s see, what story to read tonight…” Jughead said coming back into view.

*** * ***

“I don’t like this and I miss them and I want to go back home.” Jughead complained, shutting the computer off after story time.

“it’s not that long a trip, Jug. You have a few more classes tomorrow, then the meeting, then we head back.”

“This is stupid. Let’s go back now. Don’t you miss them? Did you see how much Theo wants us there? His butt hurt, JB! We made his butt hurt!”

“Okay, first,” She rolled her eyes at his antics, “Watch what you’re saying because our of context that’s just…no. And calm down. Betty’s fine, dad is there and her sister is there, it’ll be okay.”

“If her sister wasn’t there I wouldn’t be as terrified.” He admitted. “Her family isn’t good to her or for her, Jells. They hurt her, and I don’t even know if they realize it.” He shoved the computer in his bag and got up to start the walk to the motel they were staying at. He had flat out refused to pay for a hotel for only a few days and since his services had been volunteered rather than sought out the university wasn’t covering anything. They were well off, but after the huge investment they’d made for the town, he couldn’t find it in him to splurge. He was turning to ask JB if she was coming with when someone bumped into him.

“Umph. Oh! Mr. Jones. Wow, hi!” The girl tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going. Your lecture today was great. Like, really, really great. I really enjoyed it, and umm…yeah, you’re great.”

“Thank you,” he sighed, “But I’m not all that great.”

“Oh, no! Don’t say that, you really are, maybe you could umm…come to my dorm and I could…you know, pick your brain about some stuff?”

“Sorry, not tonight. I have to head out so I can talk to my girlfriend.” He said, his face slowly morphing into a smile, “Did you know she’s pregnant? She’s the most beautiful woman in the world, she’s just…and our son is just the cutest, wait, look, here.” He dug in his pocket, taking out his phone and flipping through pictures. “Aren’t they just the best?”

“Right, yeah, they’re…”

“Oh! Look, I love this one, they’re playing in the yard, and here they’re-“

“Sorry, Mr. Jones, I have to go. It was nice meeting you.” And just like that she disappeared and Jughead turned to JB clutching her ribs laughing.

“That was great! Oh my god, you’re amazing!”

“What? What did I do?” He was so confused, but then, he always was when it came to his sister. The question only seemed to throw her into another burst of laughter. It took two whole minutes for her to take a breath and shake her head.

“She was heating on you and you showed her the family, that was on purpose, right?”

“She was flirting?”

“You’re such a lost cause! How did Betty even do it?”

“She walked into the library with the tiniest shorts in the world and saw my books and then we-“

“LALALALALALALALALA” They walked all the way to the motel with JB covering her ears and Jughead laughing.

*** * ***

“Psst! Daddy!” Theo whispered into the phone. It was the middle of the night and Jughead blinked sleep from his eyes.

“Hey, Buddy. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. You said I could call you if I missed you.”

“Of course you can, but it’s a school night, you should be asleep. Is mommy with you?”

“Umm…no. Aunt Polly took her phone for me.”

“I see. Okay, grab the phone and go to our room, okay? I’m here, I’m not hanging up.”

“But mommy’s asleep.”

“That’s okay, go ahead, she wont be mad at you, I promise.”

Theo began padding down the hall slowly, creeping to avoid making noise and eventually getting in the room.

“Wake her up, Little One. Please, for me?”

“Umm…But Daddy! The baby needs sleep.”

“Please.”

Theo put the phone on the bed and climbed on the bed, pulling on Betty’s hand.

“Theo? Are you okay, Baby?”

“Daddy wants to talk to you.” He said, biting his lip, “Can I sleep here to take care of the baby until daddy gets back?”

“Of course, come on, get in bed, cuddle up. I think Peanut missed you.” She smiled and reached for her phone to see a serious and borderline angry Jughead on the screen.

“Please put your headphones on, Betty.” She didn’t argue, putting them on and sighing.

“Are you okay?”

“No. Well, yes, I’m _fine_ , but when I get back we’re going to talk to your sister. This is unacceptable. She took your phone to give it to Theo on a school night to call me. I understand he misses me, and I don’t mind him waking me up, but I do mind him being awake, and I mind even more that instead of asking you for help, your sister is showing him how to lie and steal.” Betty sighed again and nodded.

“I’m trying, Jug, but she’s impossible. I’m trying but everything I do she undermines. Everything I cook is wrong, the way I dress is wrong, walking the kids to school is wrong, it’s like she’s supermom and she judges everything. She wont leave and I’m trying so hard to just be…nice. I need you here to talk to her because you wont take it and apparently I do.”

“Okay. At least we’re on the same page.”

“We are. I’m sorry he woke you. Good night.”

“Elisabeth, stop. Listen. You’re a great mother. The kids love everything you cook and so do I, they like that you walk them to the bus stop, they love that you help them with homework, they love that you care for them. Remember, these aren’t her spoiled kids, these kids need all that extra love, okay? I love you.”

Betty couldn’t help but smile and nod, Polly had been getting in her head, but Jughead had always been great at keeping her grounded.

“I love you too, Professor Jones.”

“Hey, today this girl bumped into me and JB almost peed her pants laughing because apparently she was flirting with me and I didn’t notice.”

“You didn’t notice?”

“I umm…” He blushed, barely visible in the dark of night and through the screen, “I showed her pictures of you and Theo until she ran away.”

“I love you so much, Jughead Jones.” Betty said with a giggle.

“love y’too daddy” mumbled an asleep Theo.

*** * ***

“JB get off my back!”

“No.”

“JB…Get the fuck off my back.”

“NO.”

“JB…”

“Jughead Jones, if you don’t have at least one healthy thing for breakfast I’m telling Betty!” JB threatened and Jughead, mumbling angrily moved to put some scrambled eggs from the continental breakfast on his plate.

Meanwhile, in their home, between Riverdale and Greendale, Betty cooked as fast as she could with Theo on her hip and Polly sitting on the island, looking.

“Is the baby kicking?” Theo asked, worried when Betty winced.

“Yes, Love, but don’t worry, I’m okay.”

“Can you put me down, Mommy?” Betty complied and immediately Theo moved to grab her small bump between his little hands and kissed it.

“Baby, mommy misses daddy, okay? Be good, I know we miss him too, but we don’t want hurt mommy. She loves us. No more kicking, okay? I promise to tell you a story after school if you stop hurting her.”

“Ugh, Betty, if you don’t stop this he’s going to grow up to be gay.” Said Polly with venom in her tone, making Betty stop mid whisk and pat Theo’s head.

“Theo, could you please let everyone upstairs know breakfast is going to be a few minutes late and to stay up until I call them down.”

“Okay!” He said happily and ran to the stairs. Betty waited patiently until Theo was gone before turning to Polly, face serious and livid.

“We need to talk.”

“You’re always so dramatic, Betty, seriously, you have to change how you-“

“No, no. Rephrasing. I’m going to talk and you’re going to listen, and then you’re going to get the fuck out of my house. You absolutely do not get to come here uninvited and insult my parenting skills. You got pregnant at seventeen and your kids aren’t even with you. In your time here you haven’t called them once, you make them pre-frozen foods even though you don’t work and have all the time in the fucking world to do whatever you want. Jason can’t stand you, that’s why you’re here, he’s sick of you talking to him only when you max out your credit card with some idiotic hobby you call an investment.” She paused, took a breath to try to calm down, but realized she wasn’t even close to done. “You came here running after mom because you’re desperate for her approval even though you spent your whole childhood hating her for giving you rules, that’s why your kids are obnoxious, they do what they want and you’ve never set rules for them. You’ve done nothing but nag and pretend you’re so much better than me, but I’ve been here for months, taking care of these kids, helping them homework, loving them, telling them stories, sitting with them when they had nightmares, protecting them, going to their parent-teacher conferences-“

“They’re not yours! You have always had this holier than thou attitude, well, you know what? They’re not _yours_ they’re scum you took in because nobody else would have you. You think you’re so much better than me because you help people? You only do it to feel good about yourself!”

“Shut up! I’m not done tearing you apart, Polly. You. You have hated me for ages and I never understood why, but I don’t care. These kids are my life and that makes me ten times the mother you are or will ever be.”

“Because mom kisses the ground you walk on! I’m older, I’m supposed to get the paper, not you!”

“That’s what this is about?” Betty shook her head. “Fuck you, Polly. When have you ever cared about telling a story that wasn’t about you?”

“I can own it and never write.”

“That. That right there is the reason you can’t ever own the paper. You’re also not welcome in my house of near my kids. Get out, Polly, and tell mom that whatever she thought when she called you, it was the wrong move.” She turned around to keep cooking before looking back at her, “Advice from one mother to another? Call your kids.”

“You’re not better than me.” Polly spat, the chair screeching when she moved back and started walking away.

“Yes, Polly. I am.”

*** * ***

“Mr. Jones, we know this is sudden, but you’ve done well in your time here. Students enjoyed your lectures and we’ve seen them on video, you’re engaging and renowned. We would like to offer you a position as part of our faculty. Would you be interested?” Jughead stared at the impeccably dressed woman in front of him, he’d never thought himself a teacher and he’d certainly never looked for this, but suddenly, upon it becoming an option, he found himself nodding.

“I think I would. But I have a fiancé and children to think about. A lot of children to think about. Could I have some time and get back to you?”

“Of course, Mr. Jones. Don’t take too long.”

The conversation played in his mind in loop without stopping the whole way back to Riverdale, so much so that he didn’t even hear JB babbling excitedly about whatever it was she was talking about.


	30. Author's Note and Apology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is NOT a new chapter, but it is an explanation and apology in regards to my disappearance.

Hey guys! 

First and foremost, I would like to apologize. I promise it is not my intent to let go of this story and I will be updating it. In fact, the next chapter is well on it's way, but I have been having a hard time as of late. 

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the healthcare system in the states, but basically, the price for coverage goes up so much each year, that even with government help (Obamacare) I have to change insurance companies, and since not all doctors take all insurances, that means changing doctors. In the past, new doctors have kept me in all the same anxiety and depression meds I have always had, but this year that changed and my body didn't take it very well. 

I spend a lot of time exhausted to the point that opening my laptop seems a struggle so I've been on tumblr liking and reblogging from my phone at times, my migraines are coming more often and intensely, and I'm just overall pooped. I have ideas for this story going forward, it's just taking me a very long time to get back in the groove of things after the huge slump I've been in. My doctor says that my body will get used to the new meds soon enough, and I think he might be right because the symptoms are less than what they were at the beginning of the change, but whether he's right or not doesn't really matter because I have no other choice. Antidepressants are very dangerous to cut out cold turkey, it can cause all sorts of horrible side effects not the least of which is suicidal tendencies, and so I'm not going to stop taking them from one day to the next, or even at all.

There have been other things going on, too. Especially with my family's finances that has kept me busy taking as many from-home jobs as I could possibly take. I'm exploring the possibility of starting to design and sell stationery, cards, invitations and the like on Etsy, but I'm not sure if that would be good enough income, still, it's something. 

Again, I'm very sorry. I know you guys want more and faster like I used to be, and I promise I'm trying. More coming soon hopefully. 

 

XOXO,

A Worn Down Writer


	31. Thank you for your patience and I'm SO SORRY, Please Read on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I owe you all an apology and an explanation. This is that, I hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, super thanks.

Last time I posted about my writing, I explained that I was having some mental health and financial issues but that I was working on the next chapter of “A Better Place” and that it would be posted soon...apparently, I lied without meaning to, and for that I owe you an apology. 

Apparently my mental health issues were deeper than even I realized at the time, and I have also been dealing with a litany of medical tests (and having to pay for them because YAY, the American Medical System). Every doctor I see is sure something is wrong, and none of them can tell me what, but it boils down to constant pain, discomfort, coughing, random hot and cold flashes and a whole lot more that I wont waste your time with. 

The good news is that soon I’m going to start selling menswear on a website and an etsy if any of you would like to check it out, I’ll post the link when they’re ready, but I don’t want you to think this is me asking you to buy, because I that would be a whole lot of fucked up of me. 

Anyhow, A Better Place is DEFINITELY not over, and I swear I’m working on it albeit very slowly because I’m trouble with it, so if you’re a fan, feel free to tell me where you’d like the story to go. I might use it, I might not, but you never know where the next idea is coming from. 

Anyhow, I do thank you SO MUCH for your patience and your love and the messages I have received. I will be posting this on AO3 as well along with a new little thing I wrote that might be a stand alone unless you all voice you’d like to read more of it. Up to you really, I owe you as much. Thank you again! 

Charlie.

P.S. Yeah, I know I introduce myself to most of you as Ari, but my brother decided to start calling me Charlie recently and I kinda like it, so I’m going with it :D


	32. No Place Like Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jughead and JB are back and Jughead is torn about where he wants to be. 
> 
>  
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

Jughead was laying in bed with a hand behind his head and the other carding through Betty’s hair as she slept. He was so glad to be home, there was nothing better than holding her body to his again, the warmth of their skins feeding off of each other to make their bed the coziest place on Earth, and yet he sighed, his mind going a mile a minute as he tried to figure out what to do, what to say and then going in circles telling himself there was nothing to choose, it was simple, he was staying, to hell with the job, no matter how great the offer his family was here and he wasn’t like his father, he wasn’t like his mother, he had to stay…Except…what if he was exactly like his mother? Looking for the best outcome for himself? Well, then he should be staying too, what better outcome could there be than this wonderful family? But then, it really was a dream job but…and the thoughts kept going.

“Stop it.” Betty mumbled, kissing his chest. “You’re thinking too loudly and I’m trying to sleep.” She put a leg over his, finding a comfortable position for her growing belly.

“Sorry.” He kissed her head and pulled her closer, smiling down at her and thinking back to the night before.

* * *

“Welcome hoooooome!” everyone yelled happily. There was a “welcome” banner the kids had made after finishing their homework hanging from the stairs, streamers and the smell of coffee and ice cream in the air accompanied by already sticky hands and wide smiles. Betty had let the kids stay up later than usual because they were all buzzing with energy at the knowledge that JB and Jughead were coming back, even though they had only been gone a few days and, if she was honest, Betty needed the company. Theo hugged onto her legs until he saw his dad at which point he ran towards the stunned man and demanded to be picked up.

“Dad! You came back!” He said, half in awe and half in delight.

“I’ll always come back to you, Squirt.” He kissed Theo’s head as he picked him up and put him on his hip, sticky lips kissing his cheek and wrapping his arms around him tightly. “Did anything happen that I don’t know about? Was I gone longer than I thought?” He asked, his eyes meeting Betty’s and even through her smile realizing something was wrong.

“Baby Peanut and Mommy and Lia and Liam and Shay and everybody missed you!”

“HEY!” JB shook her head, “What about me? Nobody missed me?”

“I missed you.” Theo said with a nod. “We all missed you. Grampapa runs really slow when we play tag.” He said with such seriousness that JB couldn’t help but laugh. “And you let us sneak cookies!” He play whispered, making JB look at Betty who just shrugged at her as a sign that she knew.

“Let’s close the door, maybe?” Betty moved towards Jug and JB, leaning down to grab a bag to help them with, but Jug handed Theo to JB, who didn’t hesitate to take him and head towards the table with the kids screaming “Ice cream timeeee!” to a chorus of giggles.

Jughead put his hands on Betty’s arms, stopping her and pecked her lips. “Hi.” He whispered, letting one hand drop to her bump and rubbing it, feeling a kick and lighting up in awe. He would never get used to that, he thought. “Are you okay?”

“The baby’s fine, Jug.” She smiled, but her eyes didn’t meet his and that was enough for him to wrap his arms around her waist and bring her flush against them, smiling when he noticed that her bump was actually getting in the way, if not too much yet.

“Good. What about _you_ , though? What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy I’m back?” He asked as a joke, but her following silence made him panic, his arms starting to fall away from her, ready to take a step back, to wonder what he’d done, maybe he shouldn’t have left at all, he thought they were okay he’d-“

“Stop it. I can hear your thoughts spiraling. Of course I’m glad you’re back.” She finally said, putting her hands over his and lifting them to hold her again. “I umm…I had a fight with Polly. I think…I think this was it. I think I lost my sister.” She finally looked up at him, her eyes watering and his heart broke for her. Unable to think anything useful to say, he instead made a stupid joke.

“Want mine? I was going to auction her off, but I’ll give her to you if you want her.”

Betty couldn’t help but smile and let out a small chuckle, this was it, this was the reason Jughead was it for her, he could make her smile even when she was heartbroken.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to do this. You’re probably so tired from your trip. I’ll put the kids to bed, you should head up and-“

“I’m exhausted.” He agreed, “But how about we have this ice cream party first and then we worry about sleeping in tomorrow?”

“They already had ice cream.”

“They’re clearly not done, and I haven’t had any.” He smiled and kissed her forehead.

“I love you.”

“There it is! That’s what I wanted to hear. Come here,” he said, and this time, their kiss wasn’t a peck and went noticed by the earlier chorus of giggles, which had now morphed to a chorus of “ewwww!” making them both laugh and join the table.

Later that night, when a giant sugar crash had taken all it’s victims to bed except JB who was asleep on the couch and had absolutely refused to wake up, they laid in bed together, sitting side by side, as if it was their first time sharing it.

“Okay, what is it?” He finally asked and Betty stopped chewing her lip.

“I don’t want to upset you.”

“You wont. Or you know what? Maybe you will, but that’s okay too. People get upset, it doesn’t mean I don’t love you.” Betty sighed, she didn’t know how he always knew what to say, but he did, and amount of love she felt for him made her heart ache at times.

“It’s just…sometimes I think we moved way too fast. My sister said something and I realized that I have no idea where you stand on the matter and that’s scary. I’m supposed to know these things about the father of my children, aren’t I?”

“Betts, I need you to explain, I can’t just guess what you’re talking about.”

“She said that I might ‘make Theo gay’ and it just-“

“Goddamn it, I’m going to kill and quarter her.” His tone was clearly annoyed, but not necessarily angry. As he so often did now, he got on his side, one hand on her bump, and kissed her neck.

“I just…I know you can’t _make_ people gay, Jug, that isn’t it, but what if he is? What if this baby is?”

“I don’t understand the question.”

“Would you love them anyway?”

“Betty…” He shook his head, “Elisabeth, listen to me, one, there is nothing these kids can do to make me not love them. Nothing. Two, they’re too young-Peanut isn’t even born yet! For us to worry about them having sex. Three, if they do eventually, one day, decide to have sex even though I will take their doors from the hinges to avoid it, well…They’ll be educated and careful and smart. And even moreso…gay sex doesn’t end up in unwanted pregnancy, so I’d probably be less worried about that.”

“But, it’s not just about sex, Jug. A lot of people have issues with marriage and I just…what…where do you stand?”

“Betty, this is so simple I don’t understand why so many make it complicated. They’re my children. I love them and will love them unconditionally and I will absolutely go to all weddings, I don’t care if they’re marrying a man, a woman, a gender neutral person, an alien, they’re my kids. I just want them to be healthy and happy. That’s it. That’s…that’s the only thing that matters to me.”

“Oh.” She said, and suddenly, Jughead wondered if he had said all the wrong things, if maybe she wasn’t as open minded as he’d thought her to be, but before he could realize that being tired made him freak out internally with no reason his thoughts were interrupted by a kiss that felt nothing at all like ‘eww’.

Betty could not possibly be more in love with him than she was in that moment, and she wanted to show him as much, pulling him on top of her and giggling when, for the second time, her bump seemed to be starting to get in the way, but then kissed her, and her legs fell open for him while her hands removed his shirt.

“God I missed you.”

“I missed you too, _fuck_.” Her nails trailed up his back leaving scratch marks and making his cock hard within seconds. He thrust forward, the strained fabric of his boxers the only thing between them and he realized it as soon as he felt her wetness soak through it. “Are you not-Fuck, Betts.”

Betty was already panting, wrapping one leg around him and using her foot to push the fabric down unsuccessfully while they kissed like teenagers lost in each other for the first time. All bites and tongues and teeth, all need and desire. With an unsatisfied groan Jughead pulled away and got off the bed, standing to kick off his underwear as quickly as he could but before he could get back in bed he noticed her looking, licking her lips, and his already hard member twitched painfully.

“Tell me what you want.” He demanded in a breathy tone.

“Show me. How do you touch yourself?”

“Holy fuck, Betts. Are you sure you want to play this game?”

“Please?” Her chest was rising and falling quickly, the sheets gathered around her waist while she pulled off the oversized t-shirt she’d been wearing, leaving her completely nude, her breasts already larger than normal still perky and hard-nippled as she watched him start doing just that. He grabbed himself, swallowing thickly and began moving his hand slowly, her eyes couldn’t tear away from the steady movement of his hand, and when a shiny drop gathered at the tip, her own hand moved down her body, between her breasts, down her navel and past the sheets and with a small, barely there gasp and an arching of her back, her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Jughead’s eyes were so blown there was no blue left to be seen, consumed by lust and desire he licked his lips and watched her face, her eyes fluttering open to take in the sight of him, still hard and touching himself so slowly it seemed torturous, still, she matched his pace.

“Juggie…” She breathed, barely able to get the word out without a whimper or sigh attached, she bit her bottom lip, bringing previously busy and still wet fingers up to her mouth and sucking them, she wanted to make him lose control, she wanted him to want her more than he ever had before, and all it took was the popping sound of her fingers leaving her mouth and her tongue lapping at her lips for him to be on the bed and over her, covering her mouth with his, a deep groan echoing in his chest.

“Fuck, you’re sexy, you know that?” He spoke against her lips and rubbed his hardness against her, teasing her, letting himself catch on her opening and not pushing in, even as her hips chased the sensation. “Jughead…” it was almost a warning tone, one that made him smirk looking down at her, and peck her lips.

“What?”

“I need you.”

“You have me,” He emphasized with a short thrust of his hips, his nostrils flaring as he tried to keep himself under control. He’d admitted it once, but the thought came flooding back that as soon as he’d seen her in her teacher’s garb in his shop, so willing to learn rather than demand help, he had wanted her. What he hadn’t told her was that for a second or so, he had thought himself to be hallucinating or dreaming, because he had never seen anyone so beautiful, and since then she had only gotten more so.

“Please, Juggie,” She begged without further explanation, and as much as the game itself was fun, Jughead couldn’t possibly say no to her needy tone, bright eyes and swollen lips. He pushed into her with a sigh-turned-groan and her legs came up to wrap around him, her arms moving around his neck, hands flat on his back, eyes rolling to the back of her head and teeth digging into her bottom lip.

They moved like they had many times before, urgently, to the rhythm of their jagged breaths and to the sound of slapping skin and whimpers. Their hands traveled around each other’s bodies like they had been apart for months and not only a couple of days.

Once sated and panting, when Jughead pulled out of her, spent and with a wince, he snuggled in, kissing her neck.

“You’re so beautiful.” He said, it wasn’t a whisper, but it sounded like a secret for only the two of them. He couldn’t imagine a life without her in it, he didn’t want to think about it, ever, and in that moment, he felt himself giving up on the hope of becoming a professor. It felt like a loss, but in exchange he was getting Betty and his family. That was more than worth it.

“I can hear you thinking.” She giggled, turning towards her _fiancé_ , she still couldn’t get used to the butterflies she felt when she thought that, and how they went berserk when he reached up to comb her hair away from her face with his fingers.

“It’s nothing. I love you, you know that, right?”

“I do…I also think you respect me, so…if it’s really nothing, I’ll let it go, but if it isn’t nothing you can tell me, you know that, right?”

He only nodded and pecked her lips with such sweetness that her heart hammered against her chest.

“It’s something, but I just got back, and I want to be with you and enjoy you and love you and we can talk about it in the morning, okay?”

“Okay. Whenever you’re ready.”

“Did you miss me?” He asked, and it wasn’t until the words left his mouth that he realized how scared he was of her answer.

“Of course I did. I missed you so much. I was lucky that Theo was here to cuddle.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here. It wont happen again. Especially while you’re pregnant.”

“It was just a few days, Jug. Everything was okay.” She pressed her lips against his and he sighed contentedly. It was good to be home, he thought and smiled.

There was a lull in conversation, a pause, a silence between them that didn’t last long and they both enjoyed together, but Jughead broke it.

“I meant it, you know.”

“What?”

“That you can have JB”

With giggles and chuckles, they fell asleep in each others’ embrace, glad to be where they belonged, together.

* * *

 

Now, he laid here holding the love of his life and even knowing the choice should be easy and simple and obvious, he found himself struggling with it and that made him realize he was a worst person than he thought.

“Alright, fine, kiss me, and then we can talk about it, and then, just so you know, I’m going back to sleep.” Betty yawned and stretched, reaching up with her neck until he looked down and kissed her.

“It’s nothing too important, Betts, really.”

“It must be if it’s keeping you all weirdly introverted.”

“I just…Alright, okay. I was offered a job at the school.”

“Okay?” She asked, eyebrows drawn in together, confused as to why this was a bad thing.

“And I wont take it, of course I wont, you’re here and the kids and Theo and I’m not going to take it, I’m never leaving you again, I meant that.”

“But,”

“But…It’s a great opportunity and I’m tempted and I’m having weird mixed feelings. What if I’m just like my mother? What if I’m going to leave?”

Betty snorted and in two complicated moves managed to straddle him and grab his face between her hands.

“Do you want the job?”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“That’s not what I asked, do you want the job, Jughead?”

“Yes…I do.”

“Great, then we will figure it out. Together. Nobody’s leaving, nobody’s bad. We can figure this out, okay?”

“What if we can’t?”

“Then we’ll figure that out. Now…it’s still early, wanna spend the rest of my sleep time not sleeping?” Her eyes sparkled and she smiled, Betty had all the faith in the world in them, and though she wasn’t sure where it came from it was faith impossible to break and Jughead felt it.

“Absolutely. You’re so beautiful.” He kissed her slowly, taking his time exploring her lips with his in the start of a morning well spent.


	33. Challenge Accepted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are finally getting back to normal...that includes the never ending fight they seem to be having since Jughead got back from his trip.
> 
> **This one is pretty short, sorry about that, but I came to the realization that I rather post short chapters often than to leave you hanging for a long time. Let me know if you prefer short chapters often or long chapters more far apart, please and I'll aim to please!!!**
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -I'm trying to update this fic based on the number of comments received. If you read it and you like it, please share it, and this doesn't just go for my fics, but ALL fics <3 I know all writers appreciate it!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

“Stop it!”

“No!”

“Jughead stop it!”

“I mean it, Betty! I will not stand by and watch this keep happening while the kids are running outside unattended.”

“Then go attend to them, stop trying to get me to back down because I wont do it!”

This was the worst fight they’d had in front of the children and it had been going on for too long; to add to this it had JB nearly peeing her pants because as serious as it would have sounded to anyone else it wasn’t really a fight. Jughead had spent the last thirty minutes trying to get her to stop competing with FP for the ‘Scariest Adult in the Room Award’ and FP had already said he knew he’d lose but he was not giving up yet and Betty…well, she never gave up.

Betty and FP stood staring at each other with mildly angry looks that were more like crooked smiles trying not to show themselves while Jughead walked around them trying to get Betty to back down mostly because he didn’t want her standing for so long.

“Son, if you don’t stop distracting her I’ll win and then you’ll never hear the end of it.” FP finally spoke up, right in time to have Theo pull at his pants.

“Grandpapa?”

“Yes?” FP looked down, turning into a teddy bear as he always did when the little boy was around.

“There, mommy won, now all the adluts can come play tag.” Theo said and sauntered away smugly and causing JB to finally fall onto the grass with laughter.

“He’s scary.” Jughead deadpanned,

“Yes, he is.” Added Betty.

“Smart boy.” Said FP proudly.

“He learned from meeeee!” Yelled JB and left running to the kids who all screamed, laughed and ran away from her tickle fingers.

“We’ll need a rematch, Betty.”

“Absolutely, hey could you bring me a-“

“Pickle coming right up.”

“Thank you, FP…and ice cream.”

“Disgusting.”

“I know.”

Betty found the chair Jughead had built her with back support and cushions that she really thought he had made himself too given the shotty sewing and sat with a long sigh. “I miss running with them. I want to run.”

“You’ll run again soon, baby.” Jughead smiled and kissed the crown of her head.

“I love you,”

“I love you too.”

“But I love you so, so much…”

“Mhmm…”

“Soooooo much, Juggie.”

“Alright, just tell me what you need.”

“I can’t reach the welcome home banner to bring it down.” She giggled and leaned against him.

By the time FP came back, the thought of having a pickle made her a little green and she reached for the ice cream instead.

Life finally started to settle about two weeks after Jughead’s return, he was finally coming home again smelling of sawdust, which Betty had made sure to show him how much she appreciated, and Betty was becoming bigger every day. It was the day of her 20 week sonogram, on their way to crying their eyes out that Jughead brought up something they had been avoiding since before his trip.

“Hey, Betts?”

“Oh-oh. What is it? You have that ‘I think I did a bad thing and I need you to confirm it before I feel bad’ tone.” She said, making him laugh.

“You sound like a mom. I mean you _are_ a mom, but you’ve never sounded like one to me before.”

“Oh, sweetie…you just haven’t noticed.” She patted his hand for effect and he snorted,

“You’re probably right.” He shrugged. “A lot of these properties we got, nobody’s claiming them. They don’t want to own, especially in the Southside, where they can’t even afford what the places are actually worth, much less what we should get for them to break even. I know we’re okay financially and all, but…”

“Yeah, I’m worried too, but I was thinking about this.”

“You were?”

“Yes. Being stuck in bed for the majority of the day every day is an exercise for the brain. What if we just reopen the businesses, at least the good ones, this is a mom-and-pop type of town anyway, so if we have a butcher and a bakery and grocer, and we make sure none of them sell what the other’s selling there’s no reason for the businesses not to thrive and we’ll hire the people who need better pay to be able to buy their properties back. If we end up with a few extra properties, that isn’t so bad either, you know? It’s collateral for the future, owning land is never a bad thing.”

“Right.” He said, eyebrows drawn together, eyes stuck to the road as he drove far slower than Betty was used to.

“Unless you have another idea.”

“No…that’s not it. It’s just that you’ve been here what? A year and some change? And you care more about this place than people who were born here, who grew up here, it’s amazing to me how caring you are and it’s even more stupidly amazing that I forget it sometimes. Are you sure you want to have my children?”

“Well, it’s a little late for that now.” She laughed, “But I’m more than sure.”

“So…what about the drive in?”

“What about it?”

“Technically it’s ours now.”

“Oh.” Betty didn’t know what to say to that. She didn’t know what Jughead would like to do with the place he had once fled to in hopes of dying. She hated the thought of him going back and suffering.

“I’d like to make it functional again. Make it really nice, maybe even get the people from Greendale coming to enjoy it.”

“Then we need to find out how much it would be and get it done.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Jughead was pulling up at their doctor’s office and as soon as he had parked Betty reached over to him and pulled him into a kiss. So much was left to figure out, but not everything had to be complicated or difficult, not if they talked rather than sit around hoping the other magically knew what they were thinking.

Betty always got nervous waiting for the nurse to call them in, she had even admitted to Jughead once that it reminded her too much of having almost lost Peanut and that she was scared that episode might have caused some damage to their unborn child. Jughead was always quick to reassure her, but once she’d brought it up it had become something he, too, wondered, so when the sonogram began and they saw their baby kick they both became snotty, crying bags of happiness.

“Do you want to know the sex of the baby?” the doctor was right there, and still it felt like a disembodied voice speaking as they stared at the monitor and then each other.

* * *

“Ahem,” Theo cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention, but having been mid conversation nobody really stopped, so then, “AHE-EHM?” he spoke the word rather than actually clear his throat and with a collective sigh everyone turned to him. “At school the teacher said that sometimes mommies have girl days out. She was talking to Ms….umm…I don’t know her name. Can we have a boys day out?”

“Little one, you and I need to talk about interrupting.” Said Jughead with a sweet smile that completely negated his words, “But I think it’s a good idea.”

“Well, if you’re having a boys day out, then I’m having a girls’ day in!” Announced Betty. “I bet I’ll win.” She whispered to Jughead.

“Pregnancy has made you really competitive, Betts…also really unrealistic.” He waggled his eyebrows up and down in what she was pretty sure was accepting the challenge.

“Should be fun.”


	34. Family Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Girls day in, boys day out, but there's one thing that's for sure, this family is strongest when it's together! 
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

The day started with a grunt, a giggle and a kiss to the neck that flustered the pregnant woman far more than it should.

“Stop it. You’re my competition today!” She said but still threw her leg over his body and snuggled in for just a little longer. The response was just another grunt and a clearing of a throat.

“Fine.” He finally spoke. “What’s for breakfast today?”

“Oh, no…no breakfast. The girls have plans, I guess you should figure out what you’ll be having for breakfast with the boys.”

“Oh, come oooon, it’s too early for thinking.”

“I would feel bad for the boys if that didn’t mean that we’ll win.” She kissed his cheek and made to jump out of bed, but ended up falling back onto it when she forgot that she couldn’t quite jump as far as she used to with her growing tummy. This time, with a grunt all her own, she managed to get up, taking off the t-shirt she’d been sleeping in and moving towards the bathroom completely naked.

“I miss the days of you seducing me in the library.” Jughead said, finally opening his eyes and putting a hand behind his head to watch his woman moving her butt on the way to the bathroom... _on purpose_. She’d be the death of him and he decided he wouldn’t have it any other way as she giggled and closed the door.

 

Betty was standing in the kitchen when the happy screech came.

“MOMMYYYYYYYY!” Theo was running up to her with his arms spread wide and a huge smile on his face.

“Yes, sweetheart?” She turned to him, putting her tea down right as he collided with her legs. Causing an “umph” that was so common it went completely ignored.

“Today is boys day and I want you to know that even though I’ll be with the boys and daddy I’ll be thinking about you all day because I love you and I don’t want you to forget and I promise we’re coming back, okay?” He said and made grabby hands to be picked up, which Betty promptly did.

“And,” he said, grabbing her face between two tiny hands and staring at her eyes, “if you miss me too much, call us, okay? I’ll make daddy not forget his phone in the car.” He said seriously and Betty couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her followed by a big sloppy kiss to Theo’s cheek.

“Oh, little one…I love you so much. So, so, so much.” She said as they bear hugged.

Kids were starting to make their way downstairs but there was no smell of breakfast, no warmth in the air, no…nothing and so little hands rubbed little eyes, the kids all seeming confused about what exactly was happening.

“Umm…Ms. Cooper?” Lia asked sweetly and a little bit timid “Should I help with breakfast?”

“Absolutely not! The day begins now. Boys…Mr. Jones will tell you what to do, girls…we’re going to start the day with brunch!” She announced, and the girls squealed in excitement at having an experience they’d all only seen in movies (no matter that it would be breakfast due to the time).

“Well,” Jughead said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking just as asleep as the boys looking up at him hopefully, “Pop’s it is!” He smirked at Betty when the boys all jumped excitedly and mouthed “I’m SO winning this”. She replied with a roll of her eyes.

The day went as planned, the girls had brunch and the boys had pop’s, the girls did manicures and facials and the boys played baseball of sorts, the girls learned to braid hair and the boys had a mud fight, the girls had tea time and the boys took a quick nap on the grass at the park, the girls giggled and talked and watched a movie and the boys laughed, and talked and threw popcorn at the screen in an old, empty theater while watching a funny movie, the girls had all settled in from long hot showers with bathrobes and hot cocoa when the boys ran in.

The house smelled (and looked) like a spa, the lights were dim, everything was quiet, there was nice music playing, and the boys, well…the boys came in screaming and running at the girls to terrorize them by hugging them still covered in mud.

The whole scene devolved quickly into giggles and laughter and a mess and after a long struggle to get everyone to calm down, everyone went to take a shower (girls for the second time) and Jughead joined Betty on the couch.

“So, who won?”

“I think we all did.” Betty answered sweetly,

“That’s what the loser would say.”

“I was just trying to spare your feelings.”

“Oh please, I’m the best, I won this thing.” He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her towards him so her head rested on his chest and his hand rested on her belly. “Sometimes I get scared,” Jughead said quietly, getting serious and making Betty look up at him concerned. “I’m terrified that I’ll wake up one day and this all wont be real or that you’ll leave with my kids or…or that you wont love me anymore.”

“You’re not scared that you wont love me?” She asked just as quietly.

“No. No, that wont ever happen. You’re my world, Betts. I know this is all quick, it’s…kind of our thing, y’know? But I can’t…I don’t…I’m not sure how to be me without you anymore.”

“Well, Jughead Jones, the way you feel about me is the way I feel about you. The idea of me not loving you is as far fetched as…I don’t know, as far fetched as…there’s nothing. Nothing as impossible as me not loving you. Harry Potter is more likely to be real than me not loving you, Star Wars could be the real past, and the Olympics could include knitting…there’s nothing, Jughead Jones, that I love more than my kids and you. Nothing and nobody. Okay?”

“I don’t think it’s a funded fear, Betts, it’s just there, looming, lingering, waiting to poke it’s head out at me and stick out it’s tongue if ever you’re angry at me or if ever I do something wrong and what if this teaching thing is really a horrible idea and being apart you realize you can do all this on your own and you don’t need me and then you don’t want me and then-“

Betty shut him up with a soft, simple kiss and pulled away slowly only once she felt him relax against her.

“Listen closely, Professor Jones: this fear sounds like a dick, also, we will fight, I will get angry at you and-get this-you will get angry at me,”

Jughead looked ready to interrupt, already looking frazzled, so Betty put a finger on his lips to focus him, “But that’s normal in every relationship, it’s okay to be angry and to fight, it’s not okay to hold grudges and make small issues big issues.” She continued and then smiled, “Also, I think this teaching thing is a great idea and calling you "professor" is hot. And for the record, I already know I can do all this on my own without you, but here’s the thing: I don’t want to. There’s nobody I rather do this with than you.”

“I love you.”

“I know, I’m awesome, also I won.” She winked and settled on him again as the children filed in for story time, Theo finding a way to slither in between him so he was cozied up and cuddling with both of them. It didn't occur to anyone to question Jelly's absence, after all, she was an adult, and if she wanted to go out, she could, though she'd never missed a single story time, and something in the back of Betty's mind was warning her to watch out for whatever was coming, because it would be big. Of course, she ignored it and grabbed a book to read the kids.

* * *

Betty was finally starting to venture out for longer periods of time, she was going to the market alone when Jelly wasn't around, she was walking the kids to the bus stop before school and waited for them there after school, she was heading into town more often to check on her house, on the businesses, on Jughead whenever he went to the shop, and much to Jughead’s chagrin, she also spent a whole lot of time at the Wyrm, where FP had demanded everyone stop smoking because she was a pregnant lady and fuck them if they didn’t like it; that’s where she had been when she got home one day to the smell of sawdust overwhelming her senses as soon as she walked into the house.

“Juggie?” She furrowed her eyebrows and ventured further in, the smell of sawdust always turned her on a little, but not hearing anything at all was putting her on edge, “Jug?” She called out, stepping slowly into the house until she heard a loud thump, a fall, a crash and splash and then:

“UPSTAIRS!”

Hearing his voice put her at ease, but the noises she’d heard should have prepared her for what she saw as she opened the door to the nursery.

Jughead was wearing a white onesie made of plastic and the floor was covered in plastic and the walls…were being painted with some magical witchcraft paint that didn't leave a smell, she wasn't sure why, but this fact shocked her and grabbed her attention until Jughead cleared his throat. There were many paint chips on the floor and he was covered as if it had been raining paint and that’s when she looked up and her eyes widened.

“I wanted it to be a surprise, but it’s not finished, I can change it if you don-nnnngh!” He wasn’t able to finish the sentence as Betty pulled him into a deep, wet kiss full of intent and tongue and all her feelings for him at the moment. Jughead had painted the sky for their baby, clouds in shapes of sheep and rabbits and she didn’t know it yet, but when the lights were turned off, the galaxy was glow in the dark. He had always said he wanted to give his children the world and it seemed he was doing just that.

“I get a kiss like that for an unfinished ceiling? Wait until you see what I have in mind for the rest of the room!” He smiled a crooked, love-drunk smile and Betty pulled him in for another kiss. 


	35. Change in Pace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is settled, and easy and fun and...well, nothing this good can last, right?
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -I appreciate comments, all writers do <3
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

She loved him. Betty loved Jughead. Yup, yes, Betty loved Jughead. She knew it, of course, but she was also having to remind herself of the fact because where finding the ceiling in the nursery painted had been a cute surprise, it was followed by the walls, all the hand-made wooden furniture and baby-proofing _everything_. Even the microwave, which was far too high up for a baby, or any of their kids for that matter, to reach it. He was driving Betty crazy, the library was suddenly full of baby and parenting and development books, he was talking about private schools, colleges, money, investments, healthcare, and life insurance.

Jughead loved her. Jughead loved Betty. Yup, yes, Jughead loved Betty. He knew it, of course, but he was also having to remind himself of the fact because where she had been excited about him painting the ceiling of the nursery, she seemed a lot less exited about the hard work he put into the hand-carved furniture and the baby proofing. Didn’t she know that the baby could somehow end up microwaved? She was driving Jughead crazy, and didn’t even seem interested in all the birth, parenting and development books he’d gotten. He was trying to plan for everything and anything, their children should have the best education, the best opportunities, maybe private schools, what colleges should they save up for? How much money would college be in eighteen year’s time? Maybe he should invest, how did one get healthcare? And what about life insurance in case something happened to him? He didn’t want to leave them without anything.

Jughead’s recent insanity was the reason Betty was excited when JB, who hadn’t really been around for a while, asked her out to a coffee. Jelly had driven in silence as they left towards the city and didn’t say a peep until Betty spoke up.

“Are you okay?”

“What? Yes. Yes. I’m okay.”

“I’m just worried, whatever it is, we’re on your side, we’ll help, we need you around our kids, they deserve a cool aunt, are you leaving?”

“What? No. No. I’m okay. Just…news, I guess. I need to…I need to talk to you.” She ranted and pulled into Pop’s. Betty had never seen JB nervous, not even the day they’d met, she’d seen her angry, happy, mischievous, and childish, she had even seen her naked in a weird moment of pregnancy when she forgot to knock and didn’t realize JB had been showering. But she had never seen her nervous.

“My girls!” Pop said as soon as the bell went off. “What brings you around my parts all alone? You needed a break from all those kids, huh? Or is it Jughead you’re escaping? He’s a big kid too, y’know.”

“We know” They said in conjunction with serious nods, “But we’re just here on a girl’s outing.” Betty said with the sweetest smile and then headed for the booth where they had met.

“Usually,” Betty said when they sat, “I would insist we wait on our drinks before talking about anything important, but this is killing me, so…talk. Now.” She ordered.

“Umm…Okay.” JB rubbed her face with both hands and sighed audibly. “I am thinking…of maybe…I just think that maybe I should, I was just considering, I umm…”

“Jesus Christ, JB, spit it out.”

“I want to start the project in your house. Like, tomorrow.”

"Huh."

* * *

“Okay, so this is what I was thinking about the kitchen, because we can’t leave all this the way it is, so before the baby comes we have to-“ Jughead had greeted her with a wild look in his eyes and his hair all over the place, a pencil behind his ear and pages and pages of plans to change the structure of the house.

Betty simply started walking away, her walk becoming more of a waddle each day as she grew and slowly climbed the stairs, one hand on her bump and the other on the hand rail. Jughead, as the concerned parent that he was, followed her closely, a protective hand hovering over her back all the way to their bedroom, where she collapsed onto the bed and yawned.

“Are you okay? Are you alright? Do you need-“

“Shut up.”

“What?”

“Shut up, Jughead. You know what Theo said to me? He said that you were going crazy and was worried you’d stop loving him because you’re doing so much for the baby. And you know what? You’re not only going crazy, you’re driving me insane too.”

“Why don’t you care about this baby, Betty? Maybe we should talk to your doctor about the antidepressants or something.”

“I do care, I love this baby, and I love you and I love Theo and for the first time in my life I can tell you that I have been avoiding anxiety like a champ, but your nesting is ridiculous. We don’t need a new kitchen!”

“But what if the baby-“

“What? What if the baby what? You know babies can’t hold their own heads up at first right? I know you do because you’ve been reading every book! And before you tell me that babies grow quickly please keep in mind how many children we have here and we have never had an incident like the horrible things you’re imagining. Yes, we need to be careful, yes, it’ll be scary in the best way, but NO, I don’t want to child proof my toilet!”

Jughead sat down at the edge of the bed looking away from Betty and mumbled an “I know” that was barely audible. She could see him crumbling, struggling to keep up with all the changes, and maybe she shouldn’t have expected so much from him, but they were here already and there was no going back.

“If this is all too much we don’t have to get married.” She said slowly, wondering if taking one change off the table would help him at all.

“You don’t want to get married now?” He looked at her with wide, terrified eyes and she sighed, sometimes she saw him as he had been as a child, scared, alone, overwhelmed and in those moments she always loved him all the more for his strength to become the amazing man that he was.

“Of course I want to, but I don’t want you to freak out and maybe this is all too much too fast?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Okay…then what is it, Jug?”

“My mom left us. My dad was…a mess on a good day. I don’t know how to parent. What if I mess up our kid? What if they take our kid away like they did JB?”

“We’ve already had this conversation.” She said slowly. “You’re parenting so many children it shocks me you even know all their names. It’ll be okay. You’ll be the best dad, I know because Theo told me you’re the best dad, and you know, he’s always right.”

“Well, he’s comparing me to the worst.”

“And this baby wont compare you at all. You’ll be a superhero in Peanut’s eyes, just like you are in Theo’s, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

“Hey, Jug?”

“Hmm?”

“After you have sex with me, please get rid of all the baby proofing, I can’t get into it and I almost peed myself today.” Betty said and Jughead laughed while he climbed towards her absolutely delighted to make all her wishes come true.

* * *

Morning came far too soon with a staccato knocking of their bedroom door.

“No.” Said Jughead and turned, draping an arm over Betty’s melon-like belly and pulling her close. The sound came again,

“Nooooo!” Betty said and scooted closer to Jughead who was warm and stubbly and warm.

“Mommyyyyyyy!” Theo yelled and Betty shot up immediately to go open the door only to find JB holding a sleepy Theo up.

“What’s wrong what’s-“

“I don’t know.” Said Theo rubbing his eyes with tiny fists and yawning. “Aunty Jelly said if I call you she’ll buy me ice cream…but I’m soooo sleepy. DOWN!” He demanded and as soon as JB put him down he ran to the bed to take Betty’s place and snuggle in with Jughead who was mumbling about talking and sleeping and missing Betty in the bed.

“I’m going to kill you.” Betty said to JB with a glare.

“I know, but I thought that if we got up early we could-“

Betty raised a hand to stop her, “I’m not done. I’m going to kill you so hard you’ll die to death but only after I skin you and poke you with pine needles until you become our Christmas tree. I will use your muscles as a cork board and burn you with lights that will be too bright for you to ever see again. Do you understand?”

“Yeeeeeeeah?”

“Good. Now proceed.”

“Well, I thought we could head to your house and start the process?”

“JB, with all the love in my heart, which admittedly isn’t much at all right now. Go away and come in like…” She grabbed JB’s hand and squinted at her watch “six hours. At noon. Now I’m going to go back to sleep. If you so much as think about waking me again I’ll”

“I know, I know, cut me into tiny pieces and shove me in a freezer.”

“Good girl.”

“I liked the tree thing, that’s a new threat.”

“Thank you. I’m feeling festive. BYE.” Betty shut the door to a muffled ‘I love you too!” and got in bed with her family noticing that the bed was getting smaller as she got bigger.

“I hate your sister.”

“Me too. Now come snuggle or I’ll be grumpy all day.”

“More than usual?”

“Yes more than-“

“Mommy, Daddy, stop talking I’m sleepy. Sleepy means it’s sleep time. If you’re going to talk you go away. Good night.”

“Good night squirt.”

“Shhhhhh! Mommy’s already asleep daddy. Shhh!”


	36. Big Round Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big choices coming soon, will Jug take the job? Will JB do anything with Betty's house? Will FP mess up? Where is Alice? What will happen with the Ghoulies if any remain free? Tons still to come, but now, some fluffy smutty goodness. 
> 
> NOTES:  
> -Unbeta'd, please forgive the mistakes!  
> -Find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde  
> -I appreciate comments, all writers do <3
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!!

“Mommy?”

“What’s wrong, Baby?” Betty asked, she was laying on the couch cuddling her favorite boy, his head on her stomach when he spoke, his voice breaking and eyes full of tears.

“I think Peanut doesn’t love me.” Theo said blinking a hundred times to push tears back but only hugging her middle even tighter as if trying to make his sibling feel all the love he had.

“Why would you say that, Love?”

“Because…every time I hug Peanut, Peanut kicks me.” His pout was both adorable and heart breaking, so Betty merely smiled sweetly down at him and combed his hair back.

“Oh, Darling, No, no, no,” She said, her tone stable, sweet and neutral, “The thing is that Peanut can’t hug you back, the kicking is the baby trying so hard to let you know you are loved just as much as you love.”

“Really?”

“Really really. Peanut also kicks a lot when Daddy’s around and when we sing and when I try to sleep and it’s all because the baby wants to remind us that we are loved and that we’ll be all together soon.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am, Little One. Why is this coming up now, huh?”

“Because Peanut just kicked my head and it didn’t feel like a hug at all!” His pout was now turning a little annoyed and that face always drove Betty crazy, so, as any crazy mother would do she pulled him up and kissed him all over, starting with his face and ending with his ribs where a few well-placed raspberries made him giggle until he _almost_ peed his pants and declared Betty Peanut's "Big Round House"

 -.-

A few hours had passed, Jughead had gotten home and grilled some burgers for dinner and now the children were spending their last few minutes of freedom before they went to bed for the night when Jughead was approached by a seething, angry, mean and absolutely adorable waddling Betty.

“YOU!” Betty walked in through back door, treading dirt in with her from the yard, where she had been trying (and failing) to plant some peppers now unable to get even close to the ground and pointed at Jughead angrily, her finger finally making it to his chest when she reached him. She really had all the rage of a pregnant and barely mobile woman, which most would probably think wasn’t a lot at all, but…well, Jughead had learned differently.

“What did I do?” Jughead couldn’t help but smile, even if she was livid, she was beautiful and it struck his at the oddest times that she was also _his_.

“I hate you!” She hit his arm and promptly collapsed onto a nearby chair, panting a little from the long walk. The children, having seen this particular “fight” before didn’t pay it any mind other than the few that were chuckling and pretending not to listen while they played ‘go fish’.

“No you don’t.”

“Yes, I do. I hate you. You did this to me! I’m an invalid! I can’t do anything myself and it’s your fault!”

“Hey, Betts?” Jughead whispered, too aware of the little ears all around them, “You were in that backyard with me that day, remember?” He waggled his eyebrows and she huffed.

“That was fun.” She said her tone almost giving the sense that she was giving up the fight.

“Yes, it was, wasn’t it?”

“Are you admitting that you did this to me? Because I hate you!” She swung her arm again but gave up half way, letting her hand fall to her lap and huffed in frustration.

“I hope I’m the one that did this to you. Is there another option?” He smirked, knowing there wasn’t, his tone playful, and yet,

“How DARE you imply that I-mmmm” Betty didn’t get to finish her sentence when Jughead’s lips pressed against hers. She would have melted against him if only her stomach allowed it. “I’m so fat.” She pouted against his lips.

“You’re beautiful.” He said and it was so clear to anyone around that he meant it with every fiber of his being, his eyes shone, his lips were only a breath from hers and both his hands were cradling their unborn child.

A few mornings prior his muse had woken him with such urgency that he’d ran downstairs to his office to work and got right to it, not noticing when time passed and having not closed the door to his office he heard the paddling of bare feet coming down the stairs and eventually moving into the kitchen. Betty stood there, waiting for the water to boil in ill-fitting pajama pants and one of his t-shirts, both hands on her lower back for a while until one came forward to rub on her belly and look down at it lovingly. Unaware Jughead was looking at her she began moving from side to side and humming as if lulling their baby back to sleep once more and even with her messy bun, even without an ounce of makeup, even with chipped nails and barefoot and absolutely outside of her comfort zone Jughead decided right then that he had never seen anything-that he would never see anything quite as beautiful ever in his life. She was a queen and he was lucky enough to be her disciple.

Since that morning he hadn’t closed the door to his office choosing instead to watch her waddle around, each day bigger, each day rounder, each day closer to the very day they were both so excited and so terrified for.

“I thought we could pack your hospital bag today if you wanted to.” He said, wanting an excuse to get her upstairs and into the bed. Her back had been hurting her and he hated to see her in pain, especially because she wasn’t exactly following the doctor’s directions of “listen to your body” and she wasn’t resting nearly as much as he wanted her to anymore.

“Okay, I think maybe that’s a good idea, actually. Where’s my phone?”

“I don’t know, probably the fridge or something.” He chuckled.

“I hate you.” She replied, this time without an ounce of anger in her tone at all. “Gimme your phone.” She extended her hand and he put it on there, expecting her to call herself not anyone else, so when she put the phone to her ear and nothing around them rang he was confused but only until he heard the voice on the other end and rolled his eyes as if saying ‘you suck’.

“Jug? What’s wrong?!”

“Hi, FP! I lost my phone.”

“You’re not Jug.”

“Nope.”

“Oh. Good, then nobody’s coming to beat me up, then. What is it? Is there another pickle shortage?”

“Don’t be clever with me, it doesn’t suit you.” She huffed, “I need you to come help JB watch the kids if you can. Jug and I have some stuff to do upstairs and I can’t run down like I used to if I hear any screams or anything.”

“Oh.”

“But if you can’t that’s alright. I understand, it’s last minute and not fair of me to assume that you would be able to-“

“No I-I’ll be there I…I’m just surprised. I’ll be there in fifteen.”

“If I make it seventeen can you bring me-“

“Pickles. Don’t worry.”

“And cabbage.”

“You have the worst cravings.”

“I know. I was hoping to eat chocolate the whole pregnancy and here I am. Pickles and tea. I gross myself out.”

“You gross everyone out when you do that.”

“I appreciate your candor.”

“I appreciate you thinking of me. I’ll be there soon.”

“Perfect!”

Seventeen minutes later she was upstairs, in bed, eating a pickle and making Jughead a little green as they tried to figure out what exactly to put in the hospital bag.

 -.-

She tasted like pickles, he didn’t expect any differently, but when they couldn’t decide what to put in the bag and chose instead to talk to the doctor first and ask they found themselves with alone time like they hadn’t had in a while and it seemed to have dawned on the both of them at the same time. Jughead climbed the bed and pulled her into a lusty, loving kiss that kept their bodies far, far too far apart from one another’s, her stomach now officially trying to ruin the mood, not that they would let it.

“Lay down.” She ordered him and though he blinked a few times he did as she said. Betty started at his lips, kissing all the way down as she rid him of his t-shirt first, nipping the very trail that made her oh, so happy indeed, marking him as hers just as he had done her with a ring. Jughead was breathing heavily, looking down at his woman, the most beautiful one he’d ever seen pop the button of his well-worn pants open and hum at finding him commando (even if the reason was that he needed to do laundry and not that he was expecting this all). She wrapped her lips around his semi and sucked a few times stealing a couple whimpers and a groan as he grew completely in her mouth and only when he was fully erect and needing her did she remove her lips from him completely, letting her teeth graze his member and kept her kissing, bitting his inner thighs and sucking one ball in her mouth, rolling it around with her tongue only fired up by his hand grasping her hair and pulling lightly. She moved to the other and did the same, feeling his dick twitch against her and then- oh, then she did what she knew he liked, licking a thick stripe up the vein on the underside of his cock, looking up him with dark eyes and then flicking her tongue at his head. “Want me, Daddy?”

“Fuck yeah…yes, I need you, god yes.”

She thought he was still far too eloquent, and so, to stop that she put her mouth around him and didn’t stop until he was hitting the back of her throat. She relaxed her muscles as best she knew how and bobbed her head time and time again pulling the best music from his lips, going faster and then-

“S-Stop, Betty…Betty S- FUCK! Stop!” She did so, unsure if she’d done something wrong but then, “I want to cum inside you. Ride me, Baby.” She let him go with a loud pop and nodded, climbing over him and using her hand to grab him (causing a hiss) and slowly, very slowly lowering herself onto him pressing her lips together, closing her eyes and then…waiting.

“Are you Okay?” Jughead asked, but she merely nodded, not opening her eyes, not moving, not parting her lips. “What’s wrong, Betts?”

“Shhh….” She swallowed, took a deep breath and then gave a sharp nod that seemed to be mostly for herself. “Okay, let’s go” She began lifting her hips but he held on to her, stoping her movement.

“If you don’t want to or if you need to stop we can.”

“Jug…My love. My everything, my present and my future…Nothing’s wrong, I was about to cum all over you and figured we’d want to make it last a little longer, you’re killing the mood can we get back to it?”

“Oh.”

“Yes, Oh.”

As a response Jughead just grinned, shrugged and pushed his hips up with all the force he had pulling and ‘umph’ from her that was quickly followed by ‘again, again!’ and they did move together for a long and rewarding ten minutes that left them both completely spent, drenched in sweat and thoroughly satisfied.

“Holy shit.” Betty said, laying in bed, still with a leg over him.

“I know. Pregnant sex is fucking great.” Jughead smirked.

“Yeah…wait until I get on all fours because I can’t bounce anymore.”

“But will I suck on your delicious boobies then?”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” She laughed, her body vibrating with him and making him groan.

“Stop it before you make me hard again.”

“No.”

“Naughty girl.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“For you? Always.” She winked back and began biting her bottom lip. Jughead knew her tales, and he knew what this was about too, but he wasn’t ready to talk about it, he wasn’t ready to make a choice, he wasn’t ready to leave her for a job or to deny a dream job and risk blaming her later.

“Stop it. I promise to make the choice soon. The school wont wait much longer anyway.”

“Okay. Hey, Jug? No matter what you decide we’re still family and I still trust you and love you and we can figure this thing out, okay? We can.”

“Yeah…” He said, but he didn’t believe it, how could a marriage work with so much distance between them if a trip of only four days had felt like torture?

**Author's Note:**

> HI HELLO! 
> 
> A Better Place is here and I'm can't wait to know what you think, so leave comments I answer to most if not all of them!! Good, bad and ugly, I'd like to know it all! If you want to talk to me, find me on tumblr @girlnextdoorhitchcockblonde! 
> 
> Thank you for all the lovely comments on Strings Attached, it really was shocking and amazing to get all that love for my first ever multichapter. I hope you love this one just as much!


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